Fledgling
by ParadiseParrot
Summary: Starscream is the Air Commander of Vos and throws wild parties. Skywarp is in attendance and finds something surprising when he decides to snoop around the apartment. Equally confusing is how much Skywarp finds he cares. Pre-war/heavy canon divergence. Sparklets/sparklings, OCs.
1. Chapter 1

I would really love to add more to this story, but I'm a student and tend to not have much time for fic! Still, I'd love to explore this more, so hopefully I can hammer out at least one more piece relating to this. Thanks for reading!

* * *

"No more," Thundercracker said, reaching out to pluck Skywarp's third drink from his hands. Skywarp paused. His most impressive dramatic groan followed shortly, shoulders

"I'm not even _buzzed,_ " he said, but he didn't stop Thundercracker from handing it off to the next passersby. There was no arguing when he'd decided enough was enough. "You're no fun, you know that? Zero fun. My fun levels are plummeting."

He smiled at Skywarp, humourless. "Absolutely," he said. He was leaning against a wall, wings pressed flat against it. "I'm the worst."

Skywarp snorted. "Oh, I know." He reached out, intent on tipping up Thundercracker's chin with one claw. He was interrupted as a sleek, familiar hand clapped down onto his shoulder.

Slag it.

He tried to look more sober than he was. "Great party, boss," he said, straightening up. He flashed his most beautiful grin, and he knew Starscream was very drunk when he got a smile back.

"Neither of you," he purred, "look like you're having _enough_ fun." Starscream smiled languidly at the two of them. "Especially you, Thundercracker."

"Yes, sir," he said, in the most patently uninterested voice Skywarp had ever heard. Starscream laughed. He took a dainty sip from the glass in his hand.

"Starscream!" someone called from across the apartment. Their host pointed towards the bar, before patting Thundercracker's shoulder in an almost affectionate way. Skywarp wondered if he'd remember _that_ in the morning.

"Drink," Starscream ordered Thundercracker. "Skywarp, make sure he does it." The words were slurred.

Skywarp grinned, mostly at the look on Thundercracker's face. "You've got it, sir."

To his credit, Thundercracker managed not to groan until Starscream had pushed through the crowd again, to whoever had been calling him.

Skywarp's grin became lazy, turned on Thundercracker. "Ain't no party like a Starscream party," he said. He was loud, because someone had turned up the music, again. "Like, remember that Senate thing he made us go to in Iacon? With the stupid little snacks? It was just-"

"As dumb as you?" Thundercracker finished for him. "Yes. I'm gonna go see about sweetsticks. You've had enough to drink," he said, touching the back of Skywarp's neck, the spot that always made him twitch. "I mean it."

" _Ugh,_ " Skywarp groaned. "Fine. Eat all his candy, he deserves it." Thundercracker was already gone, towards Starscream's storage. Skywarp sighed, taking Thundercracker's spot against the wall. Partying at the Air Commander's place was usually a perk. It was about half the reason why he was still a lieutenant to him, actually. But it was better when Skywarp could drink as much as he wanted, for free, and black out his processor. It wasn't as if Starscream had likable friends—it was the only way to enjoy it.

He peered over the wings of several partygoers. Nobody was in the hallway to Starscream's other rooms. It only led to locked berthrooms and a washrack.

Of course, maybe a door had been left unlocked. Skywarp hadn't rifled through Starscream's things in _years._

He grinned. That was a skill Skywarp was proud of: making his own fun. Adaptability was key.

Skywarp turned the corner and stopped in front of a door, tapping idly on the keypad. It opened with a _swoosh_. He drew back in surprise, because the keypad had gone red for denial at his guess.

It took him a moment to see that someone was looking at him. A pair of little optics was staring up, not even waist-height. They were red, and a lovely shape. Maybe it was the engex talking, about they seemed-off colour to him. Red optics were the same across the board. Never _dull_.

"Is everyone going soon?" they asked. Skywarp was taken aback. That … was not the kind of voice he was used to. Small, and a bit hoarse from underuse. A child's voice.

Skywarp hadn't really met sparklets. They stuck close by their creators at gatherings and in public, and so few people had them anyway. The Allspark did fine populating Cybertron without people mingling energy and making underdeveloped, dependent things. He'd never even seen a first-frame. Some people called them _babies_. A funny, organic word from organic races who only reproduced.

Skywarp found his voice just as the sparklet was shrinking back. He knelt down, so he could meet her optics. "Nope," he said. "Where are you creators? Sparklets are...you're not supposed to be awake this late, right?"

They shrugged, and pointed over his shoulder. Close up he could see that their optics weren't discoloured. They were dirty, a faint film over them. So was much of the rest of her, except her hands and part of her face. "He's there," they said. "Getting his drink poured."

He thought it might be a femme's voice, but he'd have to make sure. You couldn't tell by sight until their final upgrade. He didn't think about it, because he followed the sparklet's finger to...

"Starscream?" he said, turning back to her. He knew his own optics must be stupidly wide. "Are you pointing at someone else, or is he really..."

Now the sparklet really did shrink back. "Carrier," they said. "I wanted energon but there are people at the cupboards." Skywarp tried not to look too hard at the dirt on her frame. It wasn't _filth_ , but it was something you usually saw on the low castes, ones who used public washracks. Only their hands and their faceplate were clean. The red plating was dull too, scuffed at the edges. It must have been uncomfortable. He frowned.

"Wait right here," he said. Skywarp could have teleported over, but at functions like these everyone would notice. Suddenly he didn't feel the urge to do any party tricks. Normally he loved it—but the poor kid didn't need the attention of drunks.

Skywarp left her (he was almost certain they were a she) in her doorway and pushed through the crowd again. Sparklets only took low-grade, right? Even the low-grade in the Vosian towers was premium, but engex would eat right through their systems. No one noticed him filling up a cube at the dispenser, not even Thundercracker, who was looking out a window and biting off the end of a sweetstick.

"Don't sober up now!" someone screamed as Skywarp passed them, slurring his words. Skywarp gave him his most winning smile before turning the corner, back to the sparklet's door. She hadn't moved, and eyed the cube hungrily.

"Where's your caregiver?" Skywarp asked, a little awkwardly. Only the wealthy generally sparked new life this way, 'bots rich enough to pay a nurse. There was no one else in the room. He couldn't even see a drone.

The sparklet didn't answer him at first, taking the cube into her hands for a long drink. When she was through, she wiped her mouth with a fist. "I don't have one," she said.

Skywarp's optics flickered in surprise. "No?" he said. Surely she must have had one once. He was pretty sure an upgrade happened before this age. "Starscream takes care of you alone?"

Family mech Starscream was _not._ No wonder the poor kid was so unkempt. The sparklet shook her head at him.

"I take care of me," she said, and Skywarp caught a trace of pride. "My nurse left after my upgrade. 'Cause I can speak well now and reach the energon tap."

Skywarp frowned. It wasn't that he knew much about this stuff—he'd been forged from a hot spot, like Thundercracker and like Starscream himself. He never grew up. He started ...well, up.

But he knew 'bots who had been, and they were always well cared for. Spoiled. Their parents partied and left them at home, but appearances were always kept up.

"Um, Seeker?" she asked. Skywarp came back to himself. "I should shut my door. Starscream says I shouldn't come out during parties."

Skywarp remembered the washracks down the hall, away from the main apartment, and that was the one access code in this place he knew. His plating itched just at the thought of the dirt on the sparklet's. "Skywarp's my name," he said, grinning at her. "And, listen. This party sucks. Do you want me to let you into the washracks?"

Her optics widened. "I might get in trouble," she said. But he could see her excitement at the thought of getting clean. "And I can't reach the taps. I've tried but it's too high up."

"It's cool," Skywarp said. "I work for your creator. If he gets mad about messing with his stuff I'll just mess with his stuff some more." He flashed his optics at her, bright and friendly. "I'll even wait outside if you want. Deal?"

She smiled at him. "You don't have to," she said. "Deal."

On one hand, Thundercracker would disapprove of him meddling. But he'd probably be angrier about a dirty little sparklet locked in Starscream's place.

The sparklet paused, optics narrowing in thought. "He passes out when he gets drunk. If the party's not over yet and it's late, he probably will soon. So you won't get in trouble."

Skywarp was fairly sure sparklets shouldn't know anything about passing out drunk. He stood up, and after a moment's deliberation, held out his hand. She reached up and took it without preamble. He realized, surprised, that she was already getting comfortable with him. Together they headed down the hall, towards the washracks. He punched in the code, and when the door whizzed open, the spacious, clean white room was in sharp contrast to his new charge. Cleaning drones clearly weren't programmed to keep sparklets in order.

Which is why they were supposed to have nurses.

"What should I call you?" Skywarp asked, lifting her up onto a bench. "I _think_ you're a femme from that voice—tell me if I'm wrong—but you must have a name." He could only hope it wasn't "Starscream Jr." or something else he wouldn't put past his boss.

She smiled at him again. "Updraft," she said, and Skywarp relaxed. A good Seeker name. Very pleasant, actually, and wouldn't need to change at upgrade. "I am a femme! And … can you make bubbles?" she asked, suddenly shy. "I remember my nurse would do soap bubbles if he was in a good mood."

Skywarp flashed her his most wide, winning smile. "Kid, bubbles are the _only_ thing worth cleaning with," he said, and hit the button with enthusiasm. With showers running and the sound of him pulling cleaners off the shelves, he had muffled the sounds of the party.

As Skywarp set a shower head in Updraft's direction, he wondering idly just what had drawn him into doing this. Pity, maybe? It was slagging bad luck to be sparked by _Starscream,_ for sure. But the kid was also just...nice to talk to. And he couldn't let such a good future Seeker go to waste all locked up, right? She needed cool influences like him.

Updraft was just likable, which already set her leagues above both her carrier and most of Upper Vos.

She was rubbing uselessly at her plating with one hand. It wasn't doing much to dislodge the dirt. "Your nurse would have used these," Skywarp said to her, handing over a scrubber. Updraft nodded, looking sheepish, but Skywarp just grinned.

"You can do that," he said. "Put it in your room somewhere so you can get to it and wash."

The sparklet wasn't stupid—she could clean, it had just been inaccessible to her. Skywarp let the bubbles pile up almost to his knees, into her lap. Once or twice he reminded her to get a seam in her plating. The only cleaning he did for her was to swipe a soft cloth across her optics, which made her squeal in surprise. The steam and hot water were sobering him up.

It was kind of nice, actually, to see how pleased Updraft got just from washing up. It was more affection than he'd expected from himself. Thundercracker often called him mean-spirited, but Skywarp always preferred the term "mischief-maker."

"My paint's still all scratched up," Updraft said, frowning down at herself. Skywarp shrugged.

"My conjunx and I'll put a word in with Starscream," he said to her. "Make sure someone comes and shows you how to polish and buff." Whether or not Starscream would pay attention remained to be seen, but the words had come out of Skywarp's mouth, promising her. He couldn't back out now.

"What's a conjunx?" Updraft asked. Skywarp picked up more bubbles and stuck them to her helm.

The term had been in Skywarp's very first downloads, so she ought to know it by now. "Conjunx endura. Partner-in-crime for life, significant other. That kind of thing. He'll like you."

"Oh." Updraft scrubbed at her chestplate, frowning in concentration. "What's his name?"

"Thundercracker." Who might be wondering where Skywarp had disappeared to by now, come to think of it. He ought to put some bubbles aside before they melted away and bombard Thundercracker when he found them.

"That's a long name," Updraft said.

"Yeah. Nice and complicated like him."

"Oh," Updraft said. She held her arms out in front of her, giving the plating a hard look. "Does this look clean?"

Skywarp leaned over, farther than he had to, to make her laugh and to get a better look. "I think you're all set there, kid. Squeaky clean."

She smiled at him, and Skywarp returned it. It was kind of nice not having to fake-smile. Maybe that was why people had sparklets? It was companionship without the mess of _etiquette_ high-caste 'bots followed.

That was probably not why Starscream had had one.

He turned off the tap. Updraft looked around at the mess of bubbles, before cocking her head to one side, towards the door. They must have been in here longer than Skywarp had thought, because the noise outside had dulled considerably.

"What do you think?" he asked Updraft. "Will the drone clean up in here once everyone clears out?"

She nodded, but she was looking at the drying vent, not him. "It'll be done before he even wakes up," she said, pointing towards the vents. "I can't reach that switch either."

Skywarp leaned over and shoved Updraft's bench in front of it. Then he flicked it on, so he could pick her up and plunk her in front of it. She squealed, pulling her arms close to her chest.

"Cold!" she exclaimed. Skywarp grinned, and turned the dial to a better setting. She looked a good bit better now, chipped paint or not. Her vents were breathing clean and her red optics were as bright as Skywarp's himself.

"I bet there's a way to get your drones to bolt benches down in here," Skywarp said to her. She'd have to reach the taps herself if she was alone. He turned off the vents as Updraft climbed back to the floor. She stepped carefully—there were still bubble drifts all over the floor. But she shook her head at him. Her face was shy again.

"He won't like that," Updraft said. "He likes things a certain way." In her hands was a soap bottle and scrubber, and she clutched them close. Important tools in a life this small.

Skywarp frowned, and knelt down to get a better look at her. He didn't like the way she shrank back, just a fraction. They already liked each other and it wasn't right. He tapped the scrubber, held tightly in Updraft's small hands.

"My conjunx and I'll take care of it," he said. He was surprised to find how much he meant it. "Worst comes to worst, you'll get great stamina pushing that bench around, eh?" With his free hand, he tipped Updraft's chin up. "You're small, but you're smart. I can tell that kind of thing, kid. So don't worry about it right now, okay?"

She stared at him. Her mouth was in a little _o_ and he could tell she was going through everything Starscream might disapprove of. Skywarp did this constantly as part of his unit, and he would know. Finally, Updraft nodded. Skywarp grinned at her, satisified. "Good girl."

She tapped Skywarp's knee on his way up, and he paused. She grinned at him. "You have bubbles on your face."

Well, she wasn't wrong. He rinsed himself off quickly, and watched Updraft rock on her heels. Her patience was waning, something Skywarp understood very well.

When he'd well and truly turned everything off, it was clear the sounds of partying had well and truly stopped. It was too early for that.

"Uh...sparklets need extra recharge, right?" Skywarp found himself saying. "We'd better get you back to your room." He scooped Updraft up, against his hip, so he could step back into the hall.

Where Thundercracker was standing. Glowering at him.

"Where in Primus's name have you _been?_ " he snapped, leaning forward. "Acid Storm got pushed out a window, and..." He was about to give Skywarp a shove. Apparently, he noticed Updraft's presence just in time, because he stepped back like he'd been burned. His optics flashed bright. "...where did you get them?" Thundercracker bent down, his movement much more careful, to get a better look. "Who brought a sparklet?"

"No one," Skywarp said. He looked hard at Updraft's little face, and the ceiling, then the wall. Anywhere but Thundercracker himself. Fending him off when he was being a grump (most of the time) was a challenge in itself. This was hard mode. "She lives here. She's Starscream's."

" _What?"_

"I'm Updraft," said sparklet said, voice small. Her optics had dim and her brows pulled in, worried. "And you're Thundercracker. Right?"

Skywarp watched Thundercracker as he stopped, to look Updraft up and down. And up again, to her face. His eyebrows were rising so high on his head that Skywarp wondered if he'd finally get to see them fly away. "Starscream wouldn't have a sparklet."

"Well, kid's got her own room," Skywarp said. He felt drained, like he hadn't energized all day. "She knows her way around. Just can't reach very high."

Thundercracker gave her another long, hard look. Updraft met it bravely. Finally Skywarp watched his conjunx sigh, and step back. His hand had covered his optics—he was exhausted, too. "So...why were you in the washrack? Bubble fight? Did you turn everything off, or...or are you going to flood Starscream out?"

Skywarp frowned, but when he looked over at Updraft he saw she was smiling at the thought. He gave Thundercracker what he hoped was a meaningful "we'll talk later" look. "Her nurse got sent away as a 'happy first upgrade' present, I guess. She hadn't cleaned up properly since—when did you get upgraded, kiddo?"

Updraft's brows furrowed again in thought. She pressed a finger to her mouth. "Um...a month ago. Maybe?"

Skywarp stared at her. Maybe sparklets this young didn't have their own chronometres? But she was much younger than he'd guessed, if her upgrade had been so recent.

It must have been a lonely month.

"Skywarp turned the taps on for me," Updraft said quietly. She tapped his arm. "So I could clean up."

"Did he?" Thundercracker said quietly. "Good for Skywarp."

He took Skywarp aback with the gentleness in his voice. The last time he'd heard that was the time he'd woken up in hospital with a smashed wing, the result of an security detail gone bad, and Thundercracker had been waiting for him. It surprised him then, and it shocked him now.

Updraft nodded. Skywarp felt her relax. "He showed me how to clean my optics and stuff. They were all filmy."

Thundercracker looked at him then, optics wide, but this time Skywarp met it with his most patently fake grin ever. Updraft laughed. Thundercracker looked defeated.

"Where's Starscream?"Skywarp asked him. Right away, he felt Updraft stiffen up. Thundercracker pointed over his shoulder, and past his wings Skywarp could see Starscream sprawled on a couch. He was face down in the arm and one of his legs limp over the edge. Skywarp knew Updraft could see it too, and he felt his fuel tanks churn. Not appropriate.

"I took care of the Acid Storm incident," Thundercracker said. "Damage control and all. I sent everyone home but I couldn't find you."

"So the party was a bust," Skywarp said. "But, whatever. Most of them are. I was gonna take this one to bed."

Thundercracker turned back to Updraft. He looked like it had hit him all over again that she was here, and existed. "How's your energy level?" he asked her. "We, uh. We could get you some before you recharge."

Updraft smiled, more shyly than before, and shook her head. "Skywarp got me it before I washed. I get more when I wake up."

"By yourself?" Thundercracker asked, and Updraft nodded.

"I can reach the energon tap," she said. "Not the washrack ones though."

After that, Updraft directed them on how to open her door. Her room was barren compared to the rest of Starscream's lavish home. A small berth and an empty bookshelf were about all Updraft seemed to own, but at least it was only a bit dusty.

Skywarp set Updraft down on her berth and stepped back, watching her get comfortable. Her optics were already dimming. "Do you have any...I dunno, toys?" Skywarp asked. He felt awkward again. "Books to read before you power down?"

Updraft shook her head. "Starscream has books," she told him sleepily. "I don't really understand them."

Starscream _did_ have an impressive collection of literature—mostly trashy romance novels and a handful of Vosian histories. Not exactly kid-appropriate fare. He turned to Thundercracker, whose frown had deepened.

"No books?" he asked. "Nothing at all to do?"

"I read news a little bit," Updraft said. Suddenly her optics brightened, deep red. "I'm gonna recharge now. Will I see you guys again?"

"Uh, yeah!" Skywarp said. "Yes, 'course you will. Right, TC?"

Thundercracker hesitated, of course. His shoulders and wings were stiff, his optics bright from nerves. "We'll be around tomorrow. Got some business with Starscream."

"Okay," she said. Her optics were barely online. "See you."

Skywarp shot her one more big grin before turning to the door. "Nice meeting you, kid."

He only slumped when he and Thundercracker were both safely away from the closed door. There was no way he wasn't sober now. Exhausted. "This is insane."

Thundercracker shut off his optics and covered his eyes with his hands. He sighed, deep and tired. "That must be why Starscream took that leave awhile back...did she tell you who her sire is?"

Skwarp shrugged. "Nah. It doesn't matter." On his way past the cabinets he snatched a painkiller bottle. Starscream would be marginally more tolerable if his hangover meds were right in reach. "I found her with her optics all filmed up and gunk in her vents. Her nurse was dismissed and she can't even reach the slagging washracks."

Thundercracker's eyebrows returned to trying to launch off his face. "Walking around dirty, in _our_ caste," he said to himself. Skywarp could already see the gears turning in his processor. "I'm sure Starscream barely notices her."

"Are you really surprised?" Skywarp asked. He dropped the bottle off next to Starscream's slack jaw. "He notices what people can do for him. And sparklets can't do much till they're grown. When she's upgraded she won't be able to get away from him."

"She'll be no good for anything without an education." Thundercracker had low-grade in his hands, pouring it out to set next to the pills. "We were forged, so of course you've never thought about it. Sparklets need an extra push to begin their learning. And with Starscream's status she ought to have tutors."

Skywarp had crossed the room to peer out the open window, examining the damage Acid Storm falling out had caused. Not as bad as he'd expected—so Starscream would _lose_ it. "Why do you care so much? You only just met her."

"I'm not the one who gave her a bath," Thundercracker said. "Stupid."

"Idiot."

They don't end up going home. Skywarp remembered the sight of Updraft in her doorway too clearly, scuffed and dim and nervous. Sometimes Starscream listens to the two of them (protoform batch loyalty passes over no mech), and Skywarp wanted to take advantage.

In the morning, Starscream would go crazy over his broken balcony and he'll break something else if no one stops him. There's a reason Thundercracker comes to these parties.

Skywarp dozed against Thundercracker's side. Once or twice he wakes up and munches on sweetsticks. Eventually the remaining guests wake up and creep home, because no one else is brave enough to meet Starscream during a hangover. He wondered about Updraft's sire.

And he watched Thundercracker recharge, and wondered what plans he was dreaming up for their new charge.

"It's _disgusting._ "

"He didn't even break your window. The balcony damage is cosmetic, except for your chairs."

"Well, he could have! And my chairs were _Praxus-_ made! He'll be paying for them."

"You let the engex flow," Skywarp heard Thundercracker more clearly now, closer to him. Starscream huffed in the disbelieving way of his.

"Yes, yes," he snapped, "and our caste loses all inhibition at the slightest prompting—as if the manual classes never break out in riots, Thundercracker!" It could not be that late in the morning, the sun was only just streaming through the windows, but Starscream's patience threshold had already been met.

Skywarp sat up, enough that he could see the two of them by the offending balcony. The pill bottle was open, spilled over, and Starscream had already drained his low-grade.

He turned away, to the other side of the apartment...and there was Updraft, peering out at the party's aftermath from the hallway. Skywarp waved. She grinned and waved back, before walking out and stepping over a broken glass in a distressingly practiced way, towards the energon taps.

"Kid, I'll get it for you-" Skywarp said—and regretted it, because Starscream's head whipped around to look at them. His optics zeroed in on Updraft, who stopped dead in the middle of the room.

Skywarp prepared for the worst, but last night's nerves seemed to have worn off. Updraft stood straight, her optics flicking from Skywarp to the window and back to Starscream. But she didn't step back or shrink away. Starscream smoothed his face out into a smile, the same one he used for delegates and the Senate.

"Updraft!" Starscream purred. Skywarp almost recoiled. "Is my subordinate bothering you, darling? Go and get your energon." He pointed to the taps, and Updraft nodded silently. She pulled her own cube from the bottom shelf, and as Skywarp turned back to Starscream he really did recoil at the look he was getting.

Skywarp scowled and Thundercracker stepped into view, arms folded tightly over his chest. There was silence except for the energon tap.

"Shouldn't the sparklet have a caretaker?" Thundercracker said finally. He stared hard at Starscream. "Then she's safely out of the way of curious slaggers like Skywarp. And doesn't need to see...events, like this."

Starscream snorted. "She locks her door," he said, waving his hand. "'Bots are wasteful with those nurses, really. She's plenty able to energize herself." He raised a brow, almost trying to look mischievous. "Or do you think part of my own spark would be so helpless?"

Skywarp got up in silence, and ignored the others' surprise as he walked past them, to the next room where Updraft had disappeared. He gave Thundercracker a last glance and realized what a spectrum of emotions his conjunx had really run through—an explosion was imminent. There was Updraft in the next room, sipping her energon in a low windowsill like the most normal child in the world.

"Thundercracker's funny," she said, just as Skywarp heard voices rise outside. He squeezed in next to her on the sill, wings stuck against the glass and thinking hard about what to say next.

"Yeah," he said finally. "He's a riot alright."

"Newsparks _need_ learning! They can't just download everything the way forged mechs-"

"You have some nerve, Thundercracker! I-"

" _I_ nothing, she needs to be cared for! Skywarp found her dirty and alone, what would that look like to your clients?"

A huff from Starscream (Skywarp knew that one too—the embarrassed huff) and got up to shut the door between them. At least now they'd be muffled. Right at the door he could still hear Starscream protesting how he'd hated having a stranger in his home, touching _his_ newspark.

He had to admit it. Thundercracker all righteous and riled up was something he liked.

Skywarp turned back to Updraft's wide, wide optics.

"Uh...sorry," he said to her. "I think ol' TC's taken a liking to you. Take this as a compliment."

"It's okay," Updraft said. She set her cube aside, swinging her legs over the sill. Outside, the sunrise was glorious and Vos was waking up. "Do you really think I need a nurse again?" Updraft asked. "I mean, now I know how to push stuff and reach the washrack stuff, and I have my own scrubber." She tilted her head to one side as she looked at him. "And I know you need to energize at least twice a day. One cube each time."

Skywarp didn't know what to say. What did he know about sparklets? He decided to just be honest, because so far it had been working. And it was Starscream's opposite.

"'Bots like you, who are sparked," Skywarp said, "they're not born with the same processing power forged and constructed cold bots are. Grown-up 'bots."

"I'm smart!" Updraft said, and Skywarp felt his fuel tanks twist at her face. He was no stranger to mistakes. He held his hands up to her, palms out.

"You're very smart!" he said. "Smarter than me, probably! You've just got growing up to do so you can get even smarter, right?" He waited for her to relax. She nodded. "Even after your upgrade you'll need a little guidance, till you're ready to be on your own."

Updraft looked at him hard. "Did you have that?" she asked. "Guidance and stuff?"

Skywarp grinned. "I did. You're on your own a lot faster but you still have to learn about being a Cybertronian."

He watched her carefully. Now Updraft was thoughtful, frowning hard at her hands held tight in her lap.

"Were you all by yourself?" she asked finally. "Did you have Thundercracker?"

"Yeah," Skywarp said, after a moment. "Actually I did. We're from the same cohort—that means our sparks were ignited at the same time and place." Incidentally, so was Starscream. Even ol' Screamy had been a constant, and had had constants in the form of Skywarp and Thundercracker. They just hadn't had the good sense to get away from him yet.

Updraft had none of that. She'd be all by herself until flight academy, or wherever it was Starscream would make her go.

"I don't like being alone," Updraft said suddenly. Her optics had dimmed to dark, sad red. "I like being with you."

Skywarp reached out. Tapped her helm. "Hey," he said. She looked up at him. "I like being with you, too. Alone's no good."

" _Fine!_ " Starscream roared, as the door slammed open. "Alright, _alright,_ you insufferable-! I ought to fire you for being so insolent."

Skywarp knew he wouldn't. Who else was going to put up with him but his two favourite lieutenants? Starscream knew it too, and that was half his frustration. Thundercracker slipped past Starscream's wings and stopped next to Skywarp. He looked...about as sullen as usual. So things were better.

Starscream paused in front of his daughter, looming over her little frame. She looked up at him, back straight and faceplate calm. "My dear little Updraft," he said, reaching out to take her hand. He looked a bit like he was contemplating how to suck out her life force. "Your new _friends_ have taken quite an interest in your education today."

Updraft only looked confused. Maybe the presence of others was making her brave, but it seemed to Skywarp that she wasn't used to Starscream addressing her at all. She nodded. "Skywarp and Thundercracker are very nice."

Starscream laughed. It rumbled icy cold. "Are they? Well, it's good you think so. Thundercracker, tomorrow you'll start her education."

Skywarp stiffened up, optics wide and trained on Thundercracker. He looked like he'd been punched in the gut. "Excuse me?"

"You're the one who's so concerned for her well-being," Starscream snapped, whirling around. "If you're so certain I'm doing wrong by own spark, then you can tutor her."

"Don't you need your lieutanents at your side?" Skywarp asked. His optics flashed, and he grinned at Starscream's scowl. "I mean, you need us, Air Commander. Does Thundercracker have time to teach her? Cute kid, by the way. Who's her sire?"

"None of your business," Starscream snapped. "Of course he'll be needed, you fool. It will have to be in the evenings. And you're Vosian nobility, the both of you—there's eons of time you spend goofing off you can put aside for darling little Updraft."

"Yeah, well," Skywarp said, shrugging. "I'll bet you know all about goofing off, Screamy."

Starscream's optics pulsed bright. Skywarp immediately regretted what had popped out of his vocalizer.

"I don't much appreciate your meddling, if you're wondering," Starscream said. He glanced at his daughter. "But I suppose now she knows it's unbecoming to be dirty. Don't you, Updraft?"

Her shoulders slumped. Skywarp was almost surprised by the flash of anger he felt. "Hey—it's not her fault she couldn't reach. Not like your sharp observations ever noticed her finish since first upgrade."

Updraft's optics had gone very round, and Skywarp put his grin on just for her. But Starscream was closer, and he smiled too, swooping down to Updraft's level and making a show of his arm around her thin shoulders. "Study hard," he told her. "When I was at the Academy I excelled in the sciences, history...everything, really. I expect nothing but the best from my own little spark. Now aren't we glad we've sorted this out?"

Starscream drummed his claws on her shoulder, and Updraft leaned away from the touch. Skywarp turned to Thundercracker, whose optics were narrow in thought.

"She ought to have other teachers," he said. "It's not as if you can't afford it. She ought to learn her etiquette, and isolation's bad for the processor."

"Yes, yes," Starscream said, waving his hand. He stood up, and as he turned away Skywarp could pinpoint the exact moment he forgot he had a sparklet at all. "I'll think about it."

Thundercracker smiled. It was a cold, thin blade of a smile, but it existed and was genuine. "I'll be sure to remind you, sir."

"Well!" Starscream said, clapping his hands together. "I have somewhere to be." He walked past Updraft and didn't spare her so much as a glance. "I'm sure you two ingrates have work to do, so get out. Party's over."

Skywarp and Thundercracker waited for for the front door to click closed, to be sure Starscream had left. Skywarp felt a tug at his hand and looked down to see Updraft. Her optics were wide.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" she asked him. "Or just Thundercracker?"

Thundercracker sighed. "I'll bring him along," he said. "Primus knows he can't be unsupervised or he'll rearrange all my things again."

"Are you a good teacher?" Updraft asked, turning to him. Skywarp almost laughed out loud at Thundercracker's face, because he didn't know what to say.

"We'll find out tomorrow," he said. "C'mon, Skywarp."

Updraft's grip on his hand tightened. Skywarp frowned—he didn't want to pry her off and upset her. She was nervous now, shoulders turned inward.

"We forgot to ask Starscream about my polish," she said. "I don't want—I don't like being all scuffed up."

Skywarp had completely forgotten. Actually, he'd been satisfied she was clean and energized, because he himself often forgot to fix his finish on the corners. He and Updraft both stared at Thundercracker, who sighed.

"Someone will have to show you how," he said after a moment. It was clear Starscream wouldn't be getting the kid another caregiver. He wouldn't be getting her much of anything unless someone fought for her.

Those someones had accidentally become the two of them, because Skywarp had wanted to invade Starscream's privacy and look at his stuff. Funny how life worked out.

Stupid good deeds. Stupid, sweet little sparklet.

"Thundercracker _is_ your teacher now!" Skywarp said, optics dancing. "I'm sure he can help you out!"

"Yeah, yeah," Thundercracker said, giving Skywarp's shoulder a shake. "We'd better go, stupid. Apparently I have work to do."

Updraft's face fell. She let go of Skywarp and pulled herself back up into her windowsill.

"See you," she said. Then she smiled. "Thanks for turning on the taps. I'll push a stool in so I can always reach."

Skywarp grinned. "Good girl. Nice to meet you."

Thundercracker said nothing, and they turned to go. They stepped carefully over the broken glass and energon spills. Skywarp kicked a bit of the refuse onto Starscream's couch, just for fun. When they were out of the apartment and partway down the hall, Skywarp heard the _click_ of Updraft locking up.

They didn't say anything until well after they'd left the building, transformed, and flown a ways. Finally Thundercracker groaned on their comm, long and frustrated.

"A teacher?" he said. "Me? I don't know anything about sparklets, or tutoring, but if _Air Commander Starscream_ wants it-"

"You've taught flying at the Academy," Skywarp said.

"To cadets!" Thundercracker snapped. "And only when I've had the time to take a semester. I don't have the time! It's completely different for sparklets, Skywarp, and it's not flying I'm teaching, I'll need lesson plans and materials and-"

"You slagger," Skywarp said fondly. "You're smart, you'll figure it out. And you've got me to help you!"

"I'm so relieved."

"What's a good conjunx for?"

"Dunno, do you know any?"

Skywarp swooped much too close and Thundercracker yelled as Skywarp laughed and laughed. They soared home.


	2. Chapter 2

The first lesson went alright. The next ones were even better, once Thundercracker began to relax and realized Updraft was bright. Sparklets, at least this sparklet, were much quicker to learn than he had guessed.

When he and Skywarp arrived that first evening, Updraft had been alone. She unlocked the door on her tiptoes, and when it opened Thundercracker saw her staring up. Her optics were laser-bright and wide in anticipation. Thundercracker wondered how long she'd been by the door.

"You showed up!" she exclaimed, reaching out for Thundercracker's hand.

"You're all wet," was what he said to her, and Skywarp laughed out loud. Her plating still dripped from the washracks.

"I pushed my own stool into the washracks and it's perfect for reaching the tap!" Updraft told Skywarp. "I'm so clean!"

"You are," Skywarp said, crouching down to her level. "But you're also gonna drip on TC's datapads. So go get dry."

Updraft grinned and turned right around. As Thundercracker was locking the door they heard the rush of air from the washracks. Skywarp grinned, leaning against the wall.

"Cute kid," he said. Thundercracker was silent.

When she returned, properly dry, Thundercracker gestured towards the table. Now it was covered in datapads, things he'd spent the night putting together for her. Updraft jumped into a seat, back straight in anticipation. Academy students never quivered in excitement like that.

"Where's Screamy?" Skywarp asked, flopping down in a seat across from them.

"Kaon," Updraft said. Thundercracker paused, mouth half-open. Skywarp stopped swinging his legs under the table.

"Kaon," Thundercracker repeated. Starscream had punished them for finding Updraft, then. Normally they got a comm when he took a trip without them, and leaving them here meant he'd brought lesser subordinates. That meant that he'd probably have a few less subordinates once he returned, since nobody could stand him.

Updraft seemed surprised at their concern. "He'll be back soon," she said. "He actually talked to me before he left. He said to tell you you were both..." She frowned. "Both slagheads. I think that's a bad word."

Skywarp grinned in delight, and Thundercracker sighed. "It is a bad word," he said. He was already exhausted by Starscream, and he hadn't even commed him that day, let alone spoken face-to-face. "Well, never mind. Let's see what you know."

As it turned out, she was almost up to standard. Updraft read fluently when Thundercracker gave her a Vosian passage to read. She stumbled on the one in Neocybex Standard, but seemed to catch on to the similarities and got the point across. (Of course Starscream must have thought anything but their dialect was beneath her—at least, that's what Thundercracker hoped, because otherwise it was another tick of failure on the growing list.) The appropriate downloads for arithmetic and simple math had been given at upgrade. She completed the problems he gave her and said, "These were easy. Do I get harder ones soon?"

"Of course," Thundercracker said. "We'll start with that. Then I'll show you a map and we'll see where we are on Cybertron."

Updraft's optics lit up and she nodded, sitting straight up in her chair. "And the weird reading you gave me?"

The _weird reading_ would be the Standard, which she had never heard spoken in the Vosian Heights. Thundercracker gave her a small nod.

"Math first," Thundercracker said firmly. "We'll start here. This builds on the problems you just did..."

It didn't surprise him at all that a sparklet of Starscream's was intelligent. She caught on very quickly to the math, and was soon zipping through problems that made Skywarp yawn loudly. Eventually he got bored and padded off to find energon treats, but Thundercracker kept Updraft's attention firmly on the problems. Math was not a challenge for Cybertronians, not like he'd heard it was for organics. They did little in the way of learning what simply _was._

When he was satisfied with her performance, he clicked on the map. Updraft's optics flashed with excitement as a holographic Cybertron jumped to life. The enthusiasm pleased Thundercracker, and he traced her Starscream's most likely route from Vos to Kaon. Then he led her finger from Kaon to Tarn, to Iacon in the north, and told her about city-states. Then he spun the planet-map northwards, going south back to Vos.

"Our city's a flier's empire," Updraft said. Thundercracker tapped Vos on the hologram and it sprang up instead, all skyscrapers and landing pads. "That's what Starscream said once."

"The one thing he's right about," Skywarp said cheerfully. He popped another sweetstick into his mouth. "It's true."

"Yes," Thundercracker sighed. "Thank you, Skywarp. Anyway, yes—Vos is the only flight-dedicated city on the planet. Most of the forged 'bots here are born with flight protocols."

Updraft nodded. Her optics were bright and her full attention was on Thundercracker, at least for the moment. The corner of his mouth quirked as she said, "Of course! That's why Air Command is here, so Starscream has lots of fliers."

"Good," Thundercracker said. "Exactly. The superior function on the planet is concentrated here, for that purpose."

"Are there lots of people that don't fly?" Updraft asked. Thundercracker detected genuine surprise. "Like drones?"

"Yep," Skywarp called from the next room. Thundercracker heard the dull sound of the TV and knew he was already bored. "Poor slaggers."

Thundercracker sighed. "Forged mechs are all born to a function," he said. "Most of those jobs don't require flight, but we're the lucky ones."

"Oh," Updraft said. She looked past Thundercracker, out Starscream's big window and at the traffic of Vosian jets. "One day I'll fly too. After my upgrade I'll never even touch down."

Skywarp grinned at her. Thundercracker pointed at the map and turned her gently back towards it, saying "Let's move on. This one is Helex, it's further north here..."

They spent the rest of the afternoon mapping Cybertron for Updraft. Or, Thundercracker walked her through, and Skywarp interjected when he felt the lesson needed more flair. Near the end Updraft's attention began to wander, but a full hologram of Iacon's Spires brought her back quickly. Seeing details, like the Iaconian roadways and Kaon's gladiator rings seemed to thrill her, especially when an animation or two was brought up to simulate. By evening they had gotten through all of the southern hemisphere and much of the north. Darkness was falling outside, the lights of buildings going on gradually.

Updraft slumped when Thundercracker shut down the map and said they were finished. He wondered how much more polished the Aerial Corps would be if they all started off this excited.

But this was probably the most fun Updraft had ever had. Thundercracker gave her a blank datapad and a stylus, which she hugged so tightly he was worried she would crack them. He set her plenty to do the next morning, before they arrived and whenever they couldn't be there.

Like the night before, Skywarp had to gently pry her hand out of Thundercracker's. They heard her shutting the door behind them as they left, and the soft _click_ of the locks.

"You're really good with her," Skywarp said, on the flight home.

Thundercracker snorted. "She's a good student. Attentive, no thanks to you."

"It's 'cause she has nothing better to do," Skywarp said. "You watch, TC, she's a troublemaker."

"I guess you'd know."

Late that night, curled up in the berth and recharge imminent, Skywarp whispered, "We ought to have a newspark. You'd be good."

Thundercracker sputtered. Skywarp laughed, much too loudly for that time of night. He laughed so hard he almost fell of the berth, face pressed into the crook of Thundercracker's neck.

"I have enough to deal with taking care of you," Thundercracker said finally. "You've known her two days. It's not that easy."

"Our caste qualifies with application," Skywarp said, optics bright and mischievous in the dark. "C'mon, TC. I want you to plant a spark on me."

Thundercracker pushed him off the berth. The subsequent crash and indignant howl made him smile, and he rolled over to recharge.

It wasn't as if Skywarp hadn't picked them up a sparklet already.

The next couple of weeks went by in much the same way. Thundercracker and Skywarp would spend their evenings with Updraft, and Thundercracker taught her what he thought she would need. There were specialists, of course, tutors in the Vosian Heights for sparklets, but their materials were hard to come by. So Thundercracker did his best.

Skywarp thought he was helping—he helped more when Thundercracker paused the lesson and let Updraft run and yell. Thundercracker could tune her out and check her work while Skywarp whooped and chased her. Sometimes a teleportation would make Thundercracker start and Updraft shriek with delight.

One night, instead of a lesson, Skywarp scooped Updraft up and informed her that class was cancelled. He regretted it right away, because Updraft's optics widened and her lower lip trembled.

"We might have time for a short lesson later," Thundercracker said quickly. "First we're going out."

Slowly, Updraft uncurled her fingers from Skywarp's plating. "Where are you going?"

Skywarp grinned at her, and finally Updraft smiled. "Remember the first night I promised you a good polish? We're gonna get you a nice one. Professional."

Thundercracker was really starting to enjoy seeing her face light up. She wriggled out of Skywarp's grasp to the floor, taking Thundercracker's hand. He had finally managed to stop flinching when she did that.

"Why do we have to go out to do that?" she asked, as the door shut behind them. "Starscream has polish."

"Yes," Thundercracker said. "And those are locked in his room. We're going to a mod shop downstairs."

Updraft's optics went so wide, the corner of Thundercracker's mouth twitched. "There are stores downstairs!" she exclaimed. "I want to go! Let's see all of them!"

He wondered if Updraft had ever even left the apartment. The Vosian Spires were connected by a network of malls, full of high-end shops and necessities. Thundercracker had deliberately chosen to live slightly farther away from all this, but Starscream loved status. His penthouse crowned one of the tallest buildings, above the finest shops. Updraft bounced the whole way down the hall, and into the elevator. She shrieked in delight when it lurched down.

"Can we go to the ground floor?" she asked, fingers hovering over the buttons.

Skywarp pulled her hand back. "Seekers don't need the ground. We have the sky _and_ skyscrapers."

When the doors opened, Skywarp picked Updraft up. Thundercracker hated navigating the bodies and wings of distracted shoppers. He would take the sky any day, but Skywarp had insisted they take her to the best. To his credit, his conjux was keeping Updraft safe from the crush as they weaved through the crowd. Skywarp had never been patient and never would be, but Updraft focused on one thing after another. He seemed willing to bring his attention to each new thing she caught on to.

"You buy energon sweets there," he was saying to her. Thundercracker pushed out ahead and made something of a path for them. "That one has books. Dorks like TC like that store."

"And this is a professional mod and detailing shop," Thundercracker said, interrupting. "Where you're getting a paint and polish and Skywarp is getting a sticker over his mouth to shut him up."

Skywarp shoved his shoulder. Updraft giggled. The distraction was good for her, because people had been staring the whole way. There were no other sparklets in sight, and people were craning their necks to get a good look at Updraft. She was so small next to these tall, sleek Seekers and fliers. No alt mode to speak of and such wide, oversized optics.

The shop employees seemed taken aback, too, but they were visibly trying to play it cool. The Vosian wealthy did much odder things than carry sparklets out in public.

Thundercracker nodded to Updraft. "A full repaint and polish for the little one." The tech that stepped out to meet them was middle-caste, rather small, but he gave Thundercracker a smooth smile all the same.

"Of course! Of course," he said, coming forward to give Updraft a closer look. Suddenly everything about her changed, and she was shy. Her cheek rested against Skywarp's shoulder. Her optics dimmed. "You don't usually see sparklets out and about. You two must be very proud."

It took Thundercracker a moment to realize what he meant. Skywarp was grinning with delight and Thundercracker forced himself not to shove him.

"She's not ours," Thundercracker said quickly. "The Air Commander is away for now."

The technician was immediately stiff as a board. His wings stood up awkwardly as he stepped back, motioning them through. "My apologies! I wasn't aware the Air Commander had any sparklets. It makes sense, I guess, for someone so important to-"

"She's quite young," Thundercracker said. He realized the full extent of how they must have looked the part: a pair of visibly decorated, high-caste conjunx endurae, holding a sparklet on an evening out.

Skywarp certainly didn't seem to mind. He was turning on every available tap in the washrack to show Updraft what they all did. He seemed to have found his calling in making her laugh.

"Well," the tech said, staring at Skywarp. "the little one's charming." Updraft turned to them and waved. Skywarp blasted a jet of solvent out the door and at another attendant, who shrieked.

Thundercracker and their tech looked at one another.

"He can't stay here, sir," the tech said.

"Agreed."

Skywarp ended up sulking in the front room, at least while Updraft got her wash and the other tech cleaned up Skywarp's mess. The tech began to relax, realizing Thundercracker was not nearly so petulant or bad-tempered as his average customer. Updraft even coaxed a name, Nacelle, out of him. He seemed relieved to deal with someone so small and good-natured. Updraft hadn't yet learned how to order her lessers around.

"You two, you aren't _caretakers,_ " Nacelle said, setting Updraft in front of the drier. "You're much too-"

"Nope," Updraft said. Her optics were shuttered as she leaned into the hot air. "They're my carrier's top lieutenants."

Nacelle stared at Thundercracker, who grunted. The washrack steam was condensing on his plating and he was uncomfortably damp. "The Air Commander's business is his own," he said. "Yours is finishing her polish."

"Yes!" Nacelle said quickly. "Yes, yes. I won't change a thing, I'll just fix the scuffs."

Thundercracker stepped out briefly, long enough to fetch Skywarp from outside. He was leaning in the doorway of the shop, holding a massive bag of energon goodies he must have picked up during his exile. Thundercracker pulled him back in before he could fling any more at passersby.

"You promised her the polish," he said. "You'll be there for it if you don't touch _anything._ "

It turned out this had been the right choice, because it was only on Skywarp's reassurance that Updraft would allow the wet paint to touch her. "It'll dry the same colour?" she asked. Her optics were wide with concern. "I like my red."

"These guys know what they're doing," Skywarp said. "If they didn't, they wouldn't serve in the Vosian Heights, okay?"

So the paint went on without incident, and Updraft didn't shiver after the first touch of the brush. It was quick-dry, for short sessions like this. It was when Nacelle turned on the rotary buffer that Updraft jumped back. Skywarp laughed out loud.

"It tickles, kid," he said. "Promise."

Nacelle held up the offending tool. "It's on the very lowest setting. See, miss? You'll look lovely when I'm done."

Updraft frowned. Thundercracker thought she would refuse, but instead she puffed out her chest and held out her arms. The corner of Thundercracker's mouth twitch. Updraft shrieked when the buffer first touched her, but it was in delight. It took twice as long as it should have on such a little femme, with her shrieking and wriggling. Thundercracker saw Nacelle wince at the noise.

"Is it good?" Updraft asked when it was over. She spun in place, arms still out wide. "Do I look like a Seeker, Skywarp?"

Skywarp laughed. "I don't see any wings, but you've got the style."

The session wasn't cheap, but Thundercracker paid without a word. He also bought Updraft her own wax and brush, new possessions she held just as tightly as the rest.

The mall was beginning to clear out now. It was easier to get to the elevator as shops closed down and people trickled out. Updraft turned to wave at Nacelle, but Thundercracker didn't check to see if the tech waved back. It was easier for people to stare now, and occasionally people would stop and exclaim over her, blocking their path. More than one person complimented their "family unit," enough to make Skywarp laugh at Thundercracker's face.

Updraft was sagging by the time they got back. She'd seen Starscream's parties, but always from a distance, hidden away until they left. It had been a long day.

"I want my lesson now," Updraft said sleepily. Thundercracker put sweetsticks away for her on a low shelf, with "UPDRAFT" written on the bag in large letters. She would know to hide them for herself. When he turned to look at her, her head was resting on the table, optics dim.

"We'll be back tomorrow," he said. Her face fell, but there was no way she would make it through any lessons today.

"You've already got one foot in recharge," Skywarp said. "Besides, you learned about navigating the Vosian Heights." He tapped her helm. "You did good."

"Yeah?" Updraft said, looking up. Her optics pulsed brighter.

"Yeah."

She locked up behind them like always, and the two of them left the building in relative silence. Skywarp munched on his new sweets. As soon as they were up in the air, Skywarp laughed raucously over the comm. He teleported to fly right over Thundercracker, fast enough to make him startle.

"I told you!" he crowed. "It's fun taking care of one! She likes you, one from our sparks would _have_ to like you and then-"

Thundercracker transformed midair, grabbed Skywarp and pulled them both towards a balcony. Skywarp transformed halfway down, sputtering. "What are you-"

"I thought you knew this wasn't some game!" Thundercracker shouted. "You think it's a game for Updraft? We've known Starscream since we were all sparks, you _know_ how-"

"TC!" Skywarp said. He was shocked, optics wide. His wings were dipped low. "Hey. TC. Listen-"

"Don't you 'TC' me! Sparklets are more unpredictable than the forged," Thundercracker snapped. "And this one? She got the short end. _So would ours,_ idiot. You can't go home and get away from them."

"Well, yeah," Skywarp said. He was very quiet. "Obviously. TC, I'm just teasing. You know that, right? Thundercracker? I'm pretty much teasing."

Thundercracker shoved him in the middle of his chest. " _Pretty much._ Pretty much! You're not playing parent or big brother or whatever you think this is. I really thought you'd grown up a little."

He transformed and flew home. The silence should have been peaceful, but it was the opposite. It roared in his audials. The lights were off when he returned, but he hadn't come home first—on the counter was a bag of Thundercracker's favourite energon sweets. The expensive kind, flavoured with quartz from Regulon IV. The bag was from the shop Skywarp had visited, but unopened.

He put one in his mouth and waited for it to melt away. These were very, very expensive, so he rarely got them.

Eventually he put the sweets away, and pulled himself into their berth to recharge. He found himself wondering about carrying a spark. All the risk and discomfort it caused. Would being carried on such a quiet, dour spark as his hurt a newspark? If Skywarp carried, would it be wild and foolish?

Maybe Starscream's sour spark had soured Updraft too, and it just hadn't yet shown its face.

Skywarp and Thundercracker had ignited next to Starscream, in the same hot spot. They'd learned in the same cohort and rose through the ranks together. Maybe they'd been soured, too.

It was very late when Skywarp climbed in next to him. Thundercracker pretended to be deep in recharge.

"That was a dumb fight," Skywarp whispered. "Sorry I've been a slagger. No more newspark talk."

"Yeah, well," Thundercracker said. "I haven't exactly been the best either." He'd had time to calm down. The thrum of Skywarp's spark near his helped too.

Skywarp was quiet, long enough for Thundercracker to think he had powered down. Their engines had slowed.

"I guess you have enough to worry about," Skywarp said sleepily. "I bet out of me, Starscream and the kid, she's easiest."

Thundercracker snorted. "We'll see. You're the one who called her a future troublemaker."

* * *

Thundercracker tried his private comms. He tried the console in their apartment and in Starscream's. It had been nearly three weeks of no contact from Starscream. He should have been relieved. The break from his whining and demands ought to have been a relaxing experience.

But he'd always told them when he'd be back before this.

"Maybe he's getting himself sparked back up," Skywarp said mischievously. They had just about run out of things to catch up on for the Air Commander, and run out of excuses to others wondering where he was. But there were no public appearances to make, no new hotspots igniting and the excitement that came from that. And it meant Updraft didn't have to be alone all the time.

The thought of Starscream subjecting another sparklet to this nonsense made Thundercracker a little nauseous. He shoved Skywarp away without a word. There was no way he'd had Updraft on purpose, and no way he'd do it again.

Updraft was zooming through short pieces in Standard Neocybex now. Her speaking needed work, but it would come with time. Thundercracker guided her gradually towards harder subjects. Secretly, he was pleased with her progress. He planned to start her on Vosian histories next. She'd memorize the lineage of Air Commanders more vulnerable than Starscream. The sciences, too, like the process of staying airborne and the makeup of sparks...

"You're a good teacher," Skywarp whispered loudly. "Starscream's not stupid. Like—he was punishing us for finding her, but he knew you'd do the job."

Thundercracker hmmphed. Instead of acknowledging him, he leaned over to check Updraft's work instead. No, Starscream wasn't stupid. But he'd failed to account for this turning out enjoyable. It wasn't punishment in the least to teach Updraft, and Thundercracker himself had dreaded it that first night.

A few more days passed like this. Thundercracker contacted the Vosian Council, who told him Starscream's location was _classifed._ Classified! He funneled this frustration elsewhere instead. He had plenty of time to learn about Updraft and her quirks. See if she'd already been soured by Starscream's influence and if it would manifest, now that she knew them well. She wanted to bathe every day, often twice. They tried to convince her otherwise, and assure her little scuffs were nothing to worry about. But she wanted desperately to never be dirty again. It made Thundercracker's spark roll with anger against Starscream.

They took her out again, this time to a park. The crowds weren't heavy in this part of town—mostly couples and groups of young 'bots enjoying the evening. It was rare that Thundercracker came here, but the clean lines and geometry of these open spaces were nice. The closest thing to the sky you got when grounded. They were still high up, too, well above the lower-caste neighbourhoods.

He and Skywarp kept Updraft between them, her hands held tightly in theirs. This place was built for fliers. There were no guardrails for a flightless sparklet to lean on.

"We're _so_ high up," Updraft breathed. She tugged at them, trying to get closer to the edge. Thundercracker tightened his fingers.

Skywarp grinned at her. "You're always high up! You're from the Vosian Heights."

Updraft kept leaning forward. "Can't I look down, TC?"

"If you want to hit the ground from 5,000 feet up, then by all means."

"Sounds fun!" Updraft said, grinning wide. Skywarp laughed

Eventually Skywarp lifted Updraft onto his shoulders, so she could be even higher up. She was fearless for a creature without wings. Tonight no one had disturbed them, but the pointing and whispering wasn't lost. Thundercracker didn't fuss about being mistaken for a parent.

Updraft's feet kicked against Skywarp's shoulders. "Do you think I'll be a good flier?" she asked. Skywarp reached up and stopped her feet from kicking out.

"Well, yeah," Skywarp said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It's in your spark. Flying's gonna flow through you like energon once you're upgraded."

Updraft leaned over Skywarp's head, trying to look into his optics. "Can you take me flying?"

"Maybe? Maybe one day. It takes a lot of out of you in 'bot mode."

"Then as a jet!" Updraft said. She grinned, as wide and sweet as she could manage.

"Not unless you can shrink down and fit in my cockpit!"

The corner of Thundercracker's mouth twitched. Hopefully what it was to be Starscream didn't also flow through her like energon. So far all Thundercracker could find of him in her was the love of flying. If someone threw her off this platform right now, she'd probably be thrilled at the opportunity.

When they got back it was getting late. Vos glowed red and they could see the moon, looming up behind the skyscraper tops.

"Did we really used to have two moons?" Updraft was asking, as Thundercracker punched in the code.

"Well before our time," Thundercracker said. The door _whooshed_ open, but he didn't finish answering her about the mystery of Luna 1.

Starscream was standing in the middle of his apartment, tearing datapads of their shelves knocking over furniture. That would have been manageable. Thundercracker probably could have managed that, with Skywarp's help. But two massive, winged mechs were standing off to one side, at attention, but looking at one another in a way Thundercracker knew way. He had exchanged countless Starscream-related glances with Skywarp that way.

Starscream turned. His optics pulsed dark with anger as he lurched forward, shoving Thundercracker aside to pull Updraft from Skywarp's arms.

"Where have you _been?"_ he shrieked, right into poor Updraft's face. "She was nowhere to be found! I was frantic, you fools!"

Updraft pushed against his chest, right away sliding herself to the floor. Her optics were bright, and on the strangers in her home. Thundercracker's optics narrowed to slits, and gently he pulled Updraft back. It was a better move to make than shoving Starscream back.

"You've been nowhere to be found for nearly a month," he said. "We took her for a walk. Calm your turbines, sir."

Starscream's lip curled in a snarl, and he folded his arms. "I said tutor her, Thundercracker. Not cavort her around."

There was something in his optics that made Thundercracker nervous. Something genuinely unsettling, and made Thundercracker wonder what else was coming. Skywarp hadn't seemed to notice, still gaping at the new mechs. Why had he brought them into his home, outside of a party?

"Starscream," Updraft said. They all turned to her, and immediately Starscream changed, stroking her helm with one clawed hand.

"Yes, my dear?" He purred the words. "Shall I ask them to leave you now?"

She shook his head. "No! I like them. Who are they, though?" she asked, switching suddenly to Standard from her Vosian. Thundercracker thoroughly enjoyed the look of shock on Starscream's face as he heard the switch. "Are they from Kaon? They're not Seekers."

"Actually," one of them rumbled. He was the more striking of the two, with vivid blue-and-gold plating. "Seekers and Vosians aren't mutually exclusive, little one."

"You're _gigantic,"_ Updraft said, and the second mech's shoulder's shook. It took Thundercracker a moment to realize he was trying not to laugh.

Starscream had stiffened up. "Yes, yes," he snapped, waving his hand in their direction. He didn't switch from their own Vosian. "She doesn't know Standard," he said to Thundercracker.

Skywarp snorted. "My talented conjux taught her, sir. It's not _that_ different from Vosian, just gotta-"

"Oh, what do you know?" Starscream said, cutting him off. _"You_ didn't teach her. Of course she figured it out, Vosian's the most difficult dialect and Standard is nothing." He turned to Thundercracker and stared hard, but Thundercracker met his gaze.

"Why did you disappear, and who are these mechs? Seems your sparklet wants to know."

"New attendants," Starscream said. Now he spoke in Standard, and pointed, first at blue-and-gold and then at green. "Dreadwing and Skyquake. They have...a dignity to them, for Kaonians. Of good use to me."

"You're replacing us?" Skywarp blurted out. "With Kaonians? Gladiators?"

"I am no gladiator."

It was Dreadwing again who spoke, and his voice rolled angrily. Thundercracker stiffened. "No more than all you Vosians are Seekers."

He and Thundercracker stared at each other for awhile. Updraft's gaze went from one to the other, slowly, until Starscream said quickly, "We have business to discuss, Thundercracker. Come."

Skywarp still looked close to bowling over. _"Are_ you firing us?"

Starscream sighed, disgusted. "No, idiot. I'm adding staff. Now, Thundercracker."

Thundercracker's faceplate was hot as he left. Those two had not come with Starscream for no reason, and they must know he was a fool of an Air Commander. Now that they had seen this, in any case. And how could two brutes from slummy, dirty Kaon make fine Vosians look like fools?

Starscream, of course, with a dash of Skywarp. Thundercracker had answered his own question.

"What about me?" Skywarp called. He was whining—he didn't wanted to be left alone out there.

Starscream waved his hand. "Watch Updraft."

They entered Starscream's private room, a place Thundercracker had not been in often. They faced each other a moment. He could, very often, make Starscream back down. It was about having the energy to do it, something Thundercracker often couldn't muster. Tonight his optics glowed steady, until Starscream's flickered and went bright. Then he had to brace himself, before he was pushed hard against a wall.

"I've had to turn off my comm _completely,"_ Starscream hissed. "And it's all your fault."

Thundercracker's spark was pounding, but Starscream would never know from his face. Those claws of his could bite through finish painfully, if they so chose. "To punish us for pointing out how you mistreated your sparklet. We know about that."

Starscream's optics burned brighter. "Because all of Vos is on my thrusters!" he snapped. _"Do you really have a sparklet, Air Commander sir? Mech or femme or neither?_ All these questions because _you_ took her out!"

Thundercracker stared at him. "Who cares? Really, Starscream. We got her polished and no one said a word."

Starscream's claws really did bite, denting his chestplate. "She's no one's business but my own. You two meddled, but you and Skywarp—well." He waved his free hand. "My point: all of Vos didn't have to know, but now they do."

"But these Kaonians. Sir," Thundercracker said. "They have a right to know?"

"Everyone knew already!" Starscream snapped, throwing up his hands. His optics pulsed bright. "And I have my reasons, Thundercracker, for taking them on. Do not question me."

Thundercracker resisted the urge to roll his optics. "Yes, sir." He waited to be dismissed, so he could get Skywarp out of there and put Updraft to bed. Starscream didn't dismiss him, so Thundercracker held his gaze steady until Starscream flinched.

"Her sire," Starscream said finally. "I have no good answer about them."

No answer? Thundercracker raised a brow, confused. "Surely they're Vosian," he said. It was all he could think of to say. (Primus, it had better not be one of those Kaonians. Was that why they found the sparklet so funny?)

"They're Vosian," Starscream said. His voice was flat and his optics narrowed, turned away from Thundercracker. "They switched caste years ago. Took a speedster alt mode. Roller."

That—

That was almost unheard of. Some did it, if they were willing to lose everything. Few were. And Vosians craved the sky. Lived in it. The few who were forged without flight, in Thundercracker's optics, weren't living a worthwhile existence.

"So," Thundercracker said finally. "Why were you baring your spark to a roller?"

Starscream snarled. "Not your business!" he snapped. "If someone asks you—and they will—it's not their business. If they press, they're posted somewhere classified. There are plenty of our people in units throughout this wretched planet." He pointed a claw at Thundercracker's face. "You or Skywarp spoil this and I really will replace you!"

He didn't mean it, probably. Skywarp might fret, but Thundercracker guessed that for Updraft he would keep his mouth shut.

"Good talk, sir," Thundercracker said. It was a much too Skywarp thing to say, and Starscream snarled in disgust before stomping out. After a moment, Thundercracker followed.

Starscream's private suite had no images of Updraft. No indication he had a sparklet in sight. What those things might be Thundercracker didn't know. But he knew they should be somewhere.

Would her sire have wanted her? Would they at least have paid her enough attention to ensure she was cared for? Maybe.

But Updraft needed flight. She needed to be immersed in the sky, in beautiful Vos. Had she lived in the lower levels, or outside of the city-state entirely...it wasn't right. No better than Starscream's indifference towards her.

Either way, Updraft lost.

When they returned to the front room, Updraft was no longer tucked near Skywarp. The big, blue-and-gold one—Dreadwing—was _on one knee,_ her level, letting her talk away at him. Skywarp met Thundercracker's optics, at a loss.

"How is a Seeker not Vosian?" she was asking. The words spilled from her. "You have a funny accent. And your faceplate's gold, why is that? And—and you understood Vosian! Thundercracker said Vosian's the hardest form of Neocybex!"

Dreadwing's face was calm and still, but the other one, Skyquake, was trying his hardest to keep his mouth from twitching. Starscream looked their way, and right away he straightened up, the solemn soldier.

Skywarp sidled up next to him. Thundercracker could feel the worry pulsing from his spark. It rare he got that from Skywarp, and it worried him.

"Are we slagged?" he whispered. Thundercracker shook his head.

"When we leave," he said.

Starscream ignored his mechs and busied himself examining Updraft's lessons, stepping over the mess he'd made earlier. Dreadwing had begun patiently answering Updraft's questions, still kneeled. A Seeker, he said, was a certain type of flier. A machine for the hunt, and not exclusive to Vos. His accent was Kaonian, and she, Updraft, had a Vosian one.

"No!" Updraft said, bouncing on her heels. "I don't!" Finally Dreadwing's lip twitched.

"You do," he said. "My faceplate is gold because I like it, and I have visited Vos before. That's how I understood."

Updraft's fear from before had evaporated. She was turning from Dreadwing, ins Skyquake's direction, but Starscream's voice stopped her cold.

"The lineage of Commanders, Updraft," he said. "Golden Age to today."

She looked up in surprise. Thundercracker's spark prickled—he hadn't covered such lists with her yet. Updraft straightened up, and looked to Thundercracker. He gave her a nod.

"The first Air Commander was Nova Prime," she said. Starscream's optics narrowed, so she continued quickly. Her optics were bright, nervous. "But he disappeared, and there was a war, so they moved air command to Vos. They made Cloudburst Air Commander, for a long time. Then Divebomb, then he died, 'cause of the Tarnian-Vosian war. The Cybertronian Senate chose Contrail, and after another long time he stepped down for you. Everyone was forged in the Vosian Heights, except Nova Prime, because-"

"Yes, yes," Starscream said. He was embarrassed, optics dark. He hadn't intended for her to be right, so he could tear Thundercracker down for his teaching. Skywarp grinned in delight, squeezing the edge of Thundercracker's wing.

"She's a quick study," Thundercracker said. "You're welcome to look at more of her work."

"I trust you'll make her capable," Starscream said. He had turned away, wings much too straight. "Don't disappoint me, Thundercracker."

As if it mattered to him.

"Dreadwing, Skyquake," Starscream said, after a moment. "You'll be seeing plenty of my lieutenants in my service. For now—I've had enough of you all in my home. Out."

Starscream had turned the comm back on, at least. Thundercracker met Skyquake's optics, and could _feel_ the disbelief radiating from him. He would have to decide on the Kaonians later. They'd been charmed by Updraft, and already understood that Starscream was a mess. These were good traits.

Why they had agreed to be in his service in the first place was beyond Thundercracker. Many bright people had declined because they understood what Starscream was. That was why the Aerial Corps was so laughable now.

So he would watch them.

"Bye!" Updraft called to them, as they filed out. Starscream pulled her back roughly, and she hid how her face twisted up and rushing Skywarp instead. "See you at lessons!"

Thundercracker's fuel tanks churned as Starscream shook his head. "She's obviously doing so well," he said to Thundercracker, smiling. "A break is in order."

Updraft slumped. So did Skywarp. "The books are for her, boss," he said. "So don't-"

The door shut on them both. Down the hall, Dreadwing and Skyquake had reached the elevator, and Thundercracker could feel their optics burning through him.

* * *

Very much enjoying working on this! The next step is to integrate Dreadwing and Skyquake more smoothly, I think. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Updraft woke up, and was immediately bored.

Even in her _dreams_ she just wandered around the apartment, taking her energon and picking up books without reading them. Just as the door unlocked and she heard Thundercracker and Skywarp's footfalls, she'd wake up, optics bright. She'd frown, and roll back over, but there was nothing else to do but get up.

If Starscream was home, Updraft would walk to the energon tap and back, and stay in her room until the door shut behind him. If he wasn't, sometimes she would turn on the news in Standard, or read lessons to herself. If Starscream was tipsy when he waltzed back in, she would ask when Skywarp and Thundercracker could come back. Engex always made him happier.

"Not now," he told her, again and again, maybe patting her helm on his way back out. Every time she could see the moment where she left his mind, until all he thought about was the party ahead. Updraft would lock the door behind him, and go take a bath. It was hard to feel bad under the warm shower.

Updraft would stand in front of Starscream's mirror after a long bath, turning to make sure she'd buffed out every scratch. Her paint was fading on her shoulders—maybe she was washing too much?

She had plenty of time to stand there, because it seemed that Starscream spent less and less time at home. Maybe he was staying with his friends, instead of bringing them back to his berthroom. That was a relief, because Updraft hated strangers in the penthouse.

"I want Thundercracker's frequency," Updraft said one day, in front of the big screen. Even on a stool, her chin almost touched the keypad. The access bar went red onscreen, and she sighed. "Skywarp's?"

Another denial. It didn't have her voice, of course. Even sparklets with present parents probably couldn't access a private comm. "Their address, then, computer? Can I have that?"

Of course not. She frowned hard, and smacked the shutdown button. It wasn't even midway through the day yet. Updraft had read and reread her new textbooks, memorized her whole virtual map, and read Starscream's Vosian histories. It had been a week since she'd found something new to do, because the romance books had been a bust. Updraft had read some paragraphs and snapped it shut, face screwed up in disgust.

Someone whizzed past their window, much too close. It didn't make her jump, but her optics followed them as they turned, out towards further buildings. Skywarp had pointed their building out to Updraft once. It wasn't a far flight, but that was the whole problem.

There were, however, shuttles.

For visiting non-fliers, and those who couldn't access their protocols for whatever reason. Updraft had asked once after watching the news, what Nominus would do on his next visit to Vos. He would have private shuttles, but use the same bays.

Thundercracker himself had never used one. He'd looked at her in real surprise when she'd asked why not.

Updraft had another bath, so she would look shiny-new, and so she could think. Starscream kept shanix cards in the drawer, throwaway ones he received or forgot about. Updraft didn't know how to check how much they carried, so she took five and hoped for the best. She packed away the rest of the sweetsticks (not many, because Starscream hadn't been shopping). After a moment's deliberation, she put her polish in, too.

They would be so surprised to see her. Thundercracker would be happy with how much she had learned, and the sweetsticks in the drawer were Skywarp's favourite flavour.

There was a shuttle bay in the shopping centre downstairs. Updraft had passed it when she had visited, and seen a handful of mechs get in. More had simply dived off into the sky, of course.

She paused as she got off the elevator, the doors shutting behind her. This place had seemed smaller from Skywarp's shoulders. Bots and their wings towered over her. Many stared, but Updraft tried hard not to look. It was just like Starscream's parties, if she absolutely _had_ to energize: walk like you meant it, and don't look back.

It also took her much longer to find that shuttle bay. There were so many legs to dip around, and no friendly anchors to stick close to. But no one stopped her. Updraft was sure someone would, especially when she passed that detailing place she'd been taken to.

She paused, finally, some ways away from the sign-in desk. What did she _say_ to the workers? If she said she lived in the building, they'd walk her back up. Maybe even call her carrier, and then she would be _locked_ in. Updraft couldn't stand the thought. But she'd never had a reason to lie before.

Finally, she strode up to the desk and put the most expensive-looking card on the counter. She could barely see over the edge, and the worker stared down in surprise as she opened her mouth and said, "I'd like a ticket to The Red Heights, please." Updraft's voice was small, and fortunately it barely wobbled. Pleased, she straightened up. She _knew_ The Red Heights was where Skywarp and Thundercracker lived. They had pointed out the rosy buildings themselves, and which one they lived in. Third floor from the top.

The attendant had gone nearly bug-eyed from staring at her. His wings twitched nervously. "I'm sorry, kid, are you...lost? Do you need some help?"

Updraft paused. Finally, she shook her head. "My carrier's asked me to meet him in The Red Heights," she said firmly. "He can't get me right now, but he trusted me to do it. I'm excited," she added brightly. That came easily, because it was true.

The attendant picked up her card and examined it critically. Satisfied, he set it down again, meeting her optics. "Are you old enough to travel alone?" he said, almost to himself. "Sparklet protocol is...well, hm. There is none."

"I'm close to upgrade," Updraft said quickly. This was a complete lie. It would be years before she would start her upgrade consult, let alone have her spark moved over. "It'll be fine. These are my carrier's cards, see? He hates mechs arriving late, so don't get him mad."

After a moment, the mech picked the card back up and scanned the chip. The name that popped up on his screen must have shocked him, because his blue optics flashed, and hastily he handed it to her. "This seems to be in order, but...the Air Commander doesn't have an attendantfor you?" He looked over her head, like he was expecting someone to show up.

Updraft shook her head, and her optics hardly flickered.

"No. He says I have to, uh, foster independence," she said. "It's not far, right?"

"Well, no." He typed something, and handed back her card. A red glyph was stamped on it now, making her fingertips glow. "That's your boarding pass. Does he know you have to walk some ways? Or do you have antigravs?"

Walk? Updraft had guessed the Red Heights had shuttle bays too, but maybe there was a foot bridge. It couldn't be far. Maybe it had neither, but she would figure it out. "Yes," she said, lying again. "Of course I have antigravs! For short distances, right?" They'd mentioned them in lessons once, when talking, again, about flight. Updraft had begged for some and had gotten a firm no.

He nodded, apparently satisfied. "You'll be fine. You're the first seat up front. This is the last run of the day, by the way. So don't doze off."

Updraft's spark soared. Somehow that had worked, and somehow she'd convinced him she was near upgrade and an independent femme. Without saying thank you, she rushed to the boarding line. Skywarp and Thundercracker would be delighted with how cunning she'd gotten. Maybe they'd even just let her live there. It wasn't as if Starscream would miss her small presence.

There was hardly anyone boarding tonight. Most coming through simply jumped over the edge themselves. She showed her pass, and the guard motioned her towards the other end of the shuttle. Updraft had to boost herself up onto the seat, where she parked herself in front of the window, and waited.

And waited.

She waited so long that she pressed her cheek against the window to look out, and count the jets going by. Despite her best efforts, she dozed off, and when her optics flicked on again the light had gone dusky outside. A rumbling under her got her fully awake again, and with a rush of excitement she realized they were moving. _Finally!_

Updraft scrambled to her feet to look out more easily, and the shuttle lurched. She squeaked, and was pulled back, grabbing the windowsill to sit upright. When she'd gotten used to the feeling, she peered over the edge of her seat. There was only one other person on the shuttle—a Seeker, with wings visibly patched over. Updraft couldn't ask what had happened to him, because he was in recharge. Even if he hadn't been, he was still a bit ragged, nothing like the sleek, shining mechs she knew. She slid back behind the seat and returned to the window.

It wasn't … anything like she'd expected flight to be. Maybe it was thrilling _as_ a jet, but now they lumbered along, slowly between her building and the next stop. She got a good look at their side of the Heights as they left it, too, because Updraft had never once left its confines. It was tall, of course, and all sharpangles. No wonder Starscream liked to live there—it looked just like him. She tried to pick out their penthouse, but it was above more cloud cover. She counted floors instead, but lost track as they grew further away.

Eventually, they stopped, at something seedy and empty that seemed to be a station. Updraft sank below her window and curled up, waiting again to get underway. Only then did she notice a sign next to her seat, that listed times and places of arrival. Her fellow passenger shook himself awake at the stop, huffed, and disembarked.

The Red Heights wasn't listed on the sign.

She read it again, and only now did Updraft's spark start to twist up with fear. The attendant at the desk had said it was a walk from the last stop, but Updraft had been so eager to _go_ that she hadn't thought that hard about the implication. Who would she call if she got lost? She had no comm, and no codes to reach Thundercracker and Skywarp, or even Starscream.

Updraft frowned, and squared her shoulders. "It'll be fine," she said aloud. The rumble returned, and they moved again. She was alone in the cabin now, so she got up and walked the length of it, holding carefully to the seat edges. At the other end she found an old datapad, full of long, complex articles about commerce and trace. It was dull, and there was Vos to look out at, so she put it down fairly quickly.

The shuttle rumbled to another stop, and the door opened. A mechanical , false-sounding voice nearly made her jump as it said "Final stop. Please disembark," over Updraft's head. She looked out the window a final time, and there was the Red Heights—still quite a ways out. Fuel tanks churning, Updraft ignored it and straightened up, walking off the shuttle like nothing had happened.

It was dark here. Even the lights were dim, the station attendant not even looking her way as she passed his booth. Were they lower down in the city? Updraft hadn't noticed a descent, but the buildings here loomed more ominously. She could still see her destination, cheerfully awash in lights and even higher up than it had been before.

There was nothing else to do but what the worker had said: start walking.

Updraft kept up against a wall, out of the way of people much dirtier and much more frightening than she'd ever been used to. Mostly people still flew, but occasionally someone visibly drunk stumbled by, and once someone with no wings at _all_ walked past. She couldn't even see wheels, and she'd only seen that on her own little frame. She scurried past them.

At first she kept her hand against a wall, tight against it and away from passersby, but when she pulled it back she found it covered in grime. Horrified, Updraft moved faster, not really knowing _where_ she was going, only the direction of The Red Heights.

Updraft coughed, and at one point looked up and realized she couldn't see more than a few feet ahead. People flew through the dirty air and walked by like nothing, sometimes their optics lingering in surprise on her. She moved faster, until she was running, still nearest to the walls and shop fronts.

Eventually, she had to stop. The air was like storm cloud, something her vents had to work harder to push through. She remembered a word she'd learned with Thundercracker, _smog_. At the time she hadn't pictured it. Updraft ducked into an alleyway, her coughs getting louder and more desperate. Not cycling air made her tired, and the taste of what she could choke in was nauseating.

"Hey, little thing."

Updraft stopped, and turned around. Her spark dropped when she saw the mechs, even bulkier than Starscream's new lieutenants. They were smiling, but she knew better than to let her guard down. Starscream smiled cold like that too.

One of them stepped forward, and Updraft found herself frozen. "You're an awfully tiny little thing to be on the lower levels alone." Maybe he'd had a hard life, and the cold smile wasn't his fault. His voice wasn't mocking, but Updraft didn't care. His optics flashed at her. "Need any help, tiny little thing? Got lost?"

Updraft didn't respond. The others began to laugh, and she ran.

She didn't know if she was followed, or if she was still going in the direction of the Heights. Fear gripped her spark like a vice and she rushed forward, trying to stay against the wall and far from the drop-off. Suddenly Vos wasn't a beautiful, flier's city—down here it was dirty and smoggy, full of people she didn't understand.

Updraft ran until her legs gave out. Then she crawled to one side, out of the way of anyone else. Another alley, but this one was _almost_ a street. Starscream would never find her. He might not even look for her. She'd never get to the The Red Heights, with her vents wheezing and her fuel tanks churning. She shuddered, and leaned over as her fuel tank was gripped with pain and she retched. With surprise, she realized she'd brought up her energon from earlier that day.

Something about this air, that was so hard for her to see very far through, was making her hurt. She had done everything wrong, and now she was lost and stuck. And _dirty,_ but her insides felt so wrong that it hardly registered. Shakily, she didn't even flinch as she lay herself on the dirty ground. Updraft had never been sick before. But she'd never had to breathe through such dust and grime, and sit alone anywhere but her own lavish home.

Updraft threw up again, to one side, and wheezed. It was so hard to pull good air in that she was getting systems warnings—her frame was too warm, but she shivered. She couldn't even cry.

It felt like a very long time, but maybe it hadn't been. Nobody bothered her, but things were hazy and cold. She thought she had made some small sounds, but they didn't sound like her voice. They rattled.

She woke up against to her shoulders being shaken. Updraft shivered, then remembered where she was and how she was probably dying. And there were strange, broad hands on her, the glow of optics making her dizzy. She tried to scream, but it came out hoarse. She coughed instead, wheezing through the smog.

"Little one," said a voice.

At first Updraft shrank back, pushing her fist out weakly. The voice spoke to her again, and a huge, gentle hand wrapped itself around her wrist. With a jolt of recognition she realized she _did_ know this voice, but she had only heard it once, speaking low and gentle to her in Starscream's apartment the day he'd come home.

"I'm sick," she rasped. The big mech's red optics flickered, and Updraft forced hers brighter. Dreadwing, that was right. Gold face. He'd been gentle with her.

"Indeed," he said. He seemed surprised, and Updraft shuddered as she felt herself being lifted. It made her hazy all over again. "And far from home."

Updraft couldn't speak again, and a wave of nausea took her as she was tucked against Dreadwing's chest. A memory hit her, of her old nurse and being held close to a spark. She shivered, and faded out in another wave of pain.

She wasn't _awake,_ but there were moments of awareness.

Coughing, and thin air. Dreadwing's soft, low voice, then many voices, and a rush of noise and brightness. Pain, and then nothing at all.

Updraft woke in a very white room, under a thermoblanket. This surprised her, because at home she'd never used one. Under it she was still shivering, and her vents still rasped a little. But she was clean again, not gasping for clean air like before. She tried to rub her optics and found her wrist caught. An energon line, pricked carefully into her wrist. She shut her optics back off and shuddered, the sensation unpleasant.

There was a crash at her other side. Updraft almost jumped up, turning just in time to see a purple mech rush towards her, scrambling from seats against the wall. She only registered Skywarp fully when he'd stumbled to her berthside and pulled her in. He squeezed, and Updraft squeaked.

"Hey!" he said, muffled against her head. His nose was pressed to her cheek, and Updraft realized his arms were shaking. "Updraft! Look at you, all awake! Finally!" Updraft snuggled into his arms, and decided her adventure had somewhat succeeded. She obviously had gotten time to spend with Skywarp. Even scared, shaky Skywarp.

"Your apartment is really weird," Updraft said, and Skywarp laughed, pulling back. The smile was familiar, and she relaxed.

"This," Skywarp said, dropping loudly into the nearest seat. "Is a hospital. Dreadwing took you here to get better." His hand was still on the back of Updraft's neck. Still shaking. He was still grinning at her, splayed out in the chair, but Updraft's frame rippled with unease.

"The lower levels made me so sick," she said. "My vents weren't cycling."

A shadow crossed Skywarp's face. "They don't circulate the air for the lower castes," he said. "The air's cleaner up here. But, don't worry! You'll be fine."

The more she thought about it, the sicker Updraft felt. Her vents cycled clean, but her fuel tanks ached. She frowned, sliding lower under her covers. "Is Starscream mad?"

"Yep," Skywarp said cheerfully. "But he thought you'd—he got really worried when he realized you'd left by yourself. He likes to know where you're at."

Updraft frowned harder. Starscream didn't feel much of anything towards her. What he did have usually made her want to lock herself up. Wasn't that why she'd left in the first place? To go see mechs who had liked her?

"I was trying to get to the Red Heights," she said. Skywarp's hand on her neck twitched, and he pulled it away. "I got on the shuttle and it didn't take me all the way there. So I got lost."

"Yeah," Skywarp said, almost to himself. "Yeah, we caught up to the workers and figured it out. But by then Dreadwing had already run into you." His hand reached down, and squeezed the one Updraft didn't have an energon line through. "We're going to leave you our comm frequencies, okay? So if you need TC or me, you can get us. No more big adventures like this."

"Yeah," Updraft said glumly, though she'd wanted those too. Starscream would take her home, and probably put cameras in the apartment. He wouldn't let her out again till she was upgraded. Or maybe not till long after that. "I just missed you. I thought the shuttle would go all the way to your buildings."

Skywarp went silent. He pulled his hand away, and Updraft pulled the thermoblanket over her head. Right away she heard Skywarp shuffling, his weight leaning on the berth's edge.

"Updraft? We're not mad, that's not...I'm sorry, kiddo. I just feel bad you got hurt trying to see us. We should've..." She heard him stepping back. "You can come visit us real soon, alright? We'll make it happen."

Updraft wanted to apologize, and reappear from under her blanket, but her vocalizer wouldn't work. She waited under there until she heard Skywarp get up, and walk across the door. It shut gently behind him, and she poked her head back out. When she vented in air, her systems rattled. She curled up as tightly as she could and offlined her optics instead of thinking about it, because now how would she have time with Skywarp now?

Nauseous again, she fell back into a restless sleep.

Thundercracker had been right. Skywarp was used to that, after years at his side, but this time he had known. This wasn't all fun. Sparklets _were_ fun, but they could also worm their way into your processor, make themselves loved and then have something awful happen to them. And sometimes, that awful thing could be because of you, and your idiot boss who you couldn't quit.

He got as far as the energon dispensary downstairs and slid onto a bench, pressing his forehead into his hands. They had kept calling, but Starscream would send them back. Occasionally indicate she was still reading, or hunting through his own books to keep herself entertained. He complained about his water and energon bills from her many, many baths. So he paid some attention, but not enough. And now they were paying for it.

They'd been looking for Updraft by the time Dreadwing found her, but that hadn't been why he'd been in the area. (Skywarp wasn't entirely sure why, actually—maybe he missed living in the slagheap that was Kaon?)

What if they'd never found her? Or gotten there too late? The slave trade was alive and well in the lower levels, but even without that, her little vents had been clogged up so fast. And the effects had been much worse than the doctors expected. So something wasn't right. All because Skywarp hadn't broken enough rules, just this once.

Someone dropped down next to him, and Skywarp recognized the weight as Thundercracker. Trust TC to find him at his worst. "She hates me," Skywarp mumbled, into his palms.

"I doubt it," Thundercracker said. He was quiet for a moment. "Whatever you said to her—and don't worry, I already know it was dumb—she's just going to think you're angry at her for running away. Which you'll have to fix."

"Yeah," Skywarp said. He pulled his hands away and sighed. "Yeah, guess so. TC, you were right. This isn't a game, I mean...if she'd died. I couldn't take it."

"She didn't," Thundercracker said sharply, sharp enough for Skywarp to look up. "Don't think like that. Anyway, Starscream left again to fly. Clear his head."

Skywarp nodded. Starscream really _had_ been frantice, when he got that call from Dreadwing and realized Updraft wasn't at home. Skywarp hadn't called it love. None of them were sure what to call it, actually, but Starscream had seemed wild at the idea of life without her.

He smiled weakly, bumping Thundercracker's shoulder with his. "His face when the nurse asked him who was watching her," he said. "Priceless."

Thundercracker, of course, didn't smile back. He stood up, stretching his wings and yawning. "I need to talk to the doctor again, if you're done feeling sorry for yourself. He wants to test for SRD."

Self-repair deficiency wasn't common, but it would explain how bad atmosphere had been enough to squeeze Updraft's spark. Skywarp winced, before standing up to join Thundercracker down the hall.

"Do you think they're gonna do anything?" he asked Thundercracker. Now that there was no way to deny Updraft spent all her time alone, he had been wondering what would change. "Starscream will raise hell if they take her away." Skywarp frowned at the thought. Maybe they'd put her with a pair who had already raised a newspark to adulthood, ones who at least had cursory knowledge of what to do. Maybe they'd send her to Iacon. Or-

"They won't," Thundercracker said, starting down the hall. Skywarp had to jog to keep up, because his conjux was setting his furious pace. He stared straight ahead. "Starscream has too much money. The required investigation-there is one, I looked-will happen, and they'll write down some nonsense so the Air Commander doesn't get in any trouble." He glanced at Skywarp, his optics too bright. "But he'll probably let her have her lessons again. That's the whole reason she left."

Skywarp let his whole body slump. "We should have snuck up there. We've done worse to slag off Starscream! Thundercracker..."

The glow of Thundercracker's optics softened. He tapped the back of Skywarp's neck. "I know. She's tough. Even if she's got SRD, it doesn't mean much. She'll just have to take care."

"We should take care of her," Skywarp said, looking up. His brows furrowed. "I bet if she lived with us she'd be happy. She wouldn't run away."

"Don't be stupid," Thundercracker said, but his steps slowed. "We're only slightly more qualified than Starscream, and we're not better by much," he said firmly. The finger on Skywarp's neck became the comforting palm of Thundercracker's hand. "I guess both of us got suckered in by that sparklet. I miss teaching. She gets so excited."

"And she's funny, too," Skywarp said, finally smiling. "The way she wiggles in her seat when you're taking out her books. And holds up her homework like this. 'TC, look! All done!'" He demonstrated, holding his arms out straight as a rod and almost knocking a nurse right over. Thundercracker pushed his arms down in a practiced motion.

"I should teach you, too. Manners."

"You'd think I'd have learned by now."

"One would think."

They found themselves outside Updraft's door again, and once again found themselves face to face with the Kaonians. Skywarp stiffened, and Thundercracker's hand left his shoulders, but Dreadwing was only leafing through some gossip rag and Skyquake slept against a wall. They baffled Skywarp-they'd met Updraft for all of five minutes, and as far as he could tell neither of them had left the hospital.

"I'm guessing," Dreadwing said, without looking up, "that this isn't all you read in Vos." He looked from Skywarp to Thundercracker. "I thought one of you would be with her."

Thundercracker frowned. Skywarp valiantly resisted the urge to slump. "She wanted a rest," he said quickly. Then clamped his jaw shut, because no matter what Dreadwing had done for her, Skywarp didn't owe these low-castes his effort.

"There's a number of interesting histories of Vos, and books on flight in any genre you can come up with," Thundercracker said. He had moved to peer around the hall corner, looking for the doctor. "Next time you're out rescuing sparklets, pop into a bookstore."

"We didn't realize she had no nurse at all," Skyquake said. Now his optics opened, glinting red. "Even the lowest 'bot has a cohort, and the little scrap was by herself."

Skywarp snorted, dropping down on the bench next to Dreadwing. "Right. Because Kaon's so rich and full of sparklets. Tell us about your years of experience."

Dreadwing looked over at him then, and Skywarp shrank back a fraction. These mechs were low-caste and rough. They were also big, and frightening, and could snap Skywarp at his sleek waist without issue. "You haven't known her much longer," Dreadwing said, still calm. He turned back to his magazine. "Or met any others, really, according to Starscream."

Right. Starscream. Skywarp looked over, optics narrowed. "So, uh...mind explaining what ol' Screamy keeps you two around for? Thundercracker and I were forged next to him. Still no word on why he brought you home."

"Don't worry about it," Skyquake said. "This'll be the last week we stay in this dump."

A lot of bearing to call Vos a dump after coming from Kaon, a place so bad its Senator was named after two nasty animals. Skywarp wondered idly if "RATBAT IS A BATHMAT" was still carved into the wall at the Iacon Senate house. Thundercracker at been every bit as appalled as Skywarp was pleased with himself.

"We knew he was reprehensible, but there's nothing honourable about this," Dreadwing said. "What a lonely child."

"No," Skywarp said. "He's richer than the Vosian Council."

They sat in silence for a moment. When Skywarp looked over, he could see Thundercracker in conversation with the doctor. Skyquake offlined his optics, and Dreadwing leafed through another datapad. This one's cover featured Starscream, at yet another party in yet another compromising position.

Skywarp couldn't even blame them for leaving. At least they seemed to have a choice.

"Thanks," he mumbled. Dreadwing looked up, expectant. Skywarp frowned, but met his optics.

"Thank you," he said again. "You saved her life. And-I mean, y'know. She's got a real place in my spark."

They said nothing else after that, but it felt better.

When Updraft woke back up, she was more alert. She knew right away, too, that someone was still in the room with her, and she grumbled, rolling towards the window.

"We don't need to speak," Dreadwing said. Updraft paused. "But they don't want you left alone for now. I'm pleased you're alright."

Updraft narrowed her optics, and looked out at him from under the rim of her blanket. "You found me," she said.

"I did." Dreadwing was massive, nothing like the Seekers she knew. He almost didn't fit in the hospital room's chairs. It would be funny, if Updraft wasn't determined to feel sorry for herself. "You got very far from home, little one."

"Mm-hmm." Updraft turned back to the window, pulling the cover over her head. "I wanted to get to The Red Heights."

Dreadwing quirked a brow. "You had a lovely blue height to live in last I saw."

Updraft shifted. "That's _not_ funny. I wanted to see TC and Skywarp."

"Yes. You were very determined."

Updraft rolled over again after a moment, eyeing Dreadwing with suspicion. He sounded like he thought all this was funny, and Updraft didn't feel like making all that many jokes. She sat up slowly, though, finally staring properly at the big mech. "Did Starscream send you to find me?"

He shook his head. "I found you on accident. On my way to the hospital with you I got the warning that you had gone missing."

Updraft looked hard at her thermoblanket. "Then you told Starscream?"

"No." Dreadwing shifted, probably not all that comfortable on the little chairs. "I brought you the rest of the way here, then informed them. Your spark was shrinking as I walked."

Updraft sat bolt upright at that. Dreadwing's optics went bright, and Updraft realized she had scared him. Fair, because he had scared _her._ "I was gonna die?"

"But you didn't," Dreadwing said. He frowned. "I apologize for frightening you. Alternate outcomes don't matter, only the one that came to pass. You're much too young to worry about death."

Updraft cocked her head, brows furrowed at him. "You're very serious. You're like Thundercracker—are you a teacher?"

Dreadwing, getting up from his seat, chuckled at her. "Only a soldier. The Air Commander has uses for myself and my brother's skill." Skyquake was his name, and Updraft remembered how he'd pretended not to laugh at Starscream.

Updraft looked at him for a long moment. When Dreadwing gave a small nod and turned towards the door, Updraft stretched out her good hand.

"Wait a minute!"

He paused, and Updraft straightened her back again. She looked down. "Um. Thank you. For carrying me to the hospital."

He smiled. To Updraft's surprised, she realized she wasn't so annoyed when he did, and let him open the door to go.

Past him, in the opposite direction, came several more mechs than she'd rather see now. Skywarp she was relieved to see, because she had been bad to him earlier. Thundercracker she smiled outright at, and every bad feeling she'd just sulked through turned into a glow. A doctor, with his red-and-white colours, and...

Starscream. The glowing feeling dropped from her spark.

She stared the most at Starscream, because he looked nothing like the last time he'd left the apartment. Not dirty, but...scuffed. His knuckles were scraped white, and when he saw her staring he covered them hastily with his other hand. It didn't help, because his left hand was no better. Thundercracker and the doctor spoke in low voices, pointing at a datapad, and Skywarp took the same seat he had before.

"I was mean to you," Updraft whispered, and Skywarp looked up sharply. "Sorry."

Skywarp reached out, and tapped under her chin. His smile was back, nervous but real. "You weren't," he whispered back. "You're sick, so you can do whatever. Don't worry."

Outside the room, Dreadwing and Skyquake crowded the doorway. This was more pairs of optics than had ever been on her at once, and in spite of her urge to be brave, she shrank away, against the wall behind her berth. She didn't feel like the sparklet who had lied to strangers and boarded a shuttle to nowhere.

She didn't have time to answer Skywarp, because the doctor came up to her other side. His wings sloped downwards, and his optics were very, very bright, in a way that made Updraft think he was really smart.

"I'm Pharma," he said. His accent was like the newscaster's Iacon one, perfect Standard. "Do you have any pain?" he asked her, picked up her pricked wrist and turning it over, gently, in his hands. Updraft winced.

"Now I do, 'cause you're touching the needle."

Skywarp grinned with delight, and Thundercracker frowned. The doctor didn't seem bothered, touching her shoulder with a diagnostic tool. Then he looked down at his datapad, optics narrowed in thought. "I'm still waiting on test results, but I think the SRD diagnosis is a safe bet. Type 1," Pharma said, to Thundercracker now.

"So she's sick, then?" Starscream asked sharply. They all turned to look at him, and he puffed up, clearly trying to be commanding. "Will it cause her problems in the future?"

"It shouldn't," Pharma said. "Maybe if you keep leaving her unsupervised and letting her run through the smog levels. She'll just heal more slowly than the average." He set his diagnostic tools aside, leaning down to peer into Updraft's optics. "The term 'self-repair disorder' is very explanatory, Air Commander. Just take care when her self-repair protocols are in need."

"I'll be careful," Updraft said. Pharma turned to her, and his lips quirked. Updraft straightened up, to prove how certain she was of it. "Now I know better."

"Your caretakers will have to hold you to that, then," he said. His optics twinkled at her, before he turned away. "You seem like a skilled troublemaker."

Updraft beamed, and turned to Skywarp, who grinned back. She knew he would like that. Pharma strode to the other side of the room, towards Starscream, and Updraft saw how he smoothed out his expression before addressing his carrier.

"I haven't worked in Vos very long," he said. Into Starscream's hands he dropped a small bag. "So I'm not all that used to the culture. But in Iacon sparklets are cherished."

Skywarp had gone silent, but there was another suppressed noise from the doorway. Starscream shot the big mechs outside a sharp look, before curling his claws around the bag. "What's this?"

"She needs to take that twice a day, morning and evening," Pharma said. "Legally, I have to give it to her guardian. But Thundercracker, I expect you to make sure she gets it."

Thundercracker raised a brow. "We'll manage. Thank you, doctor."

Updraft watched the look on Starscream's face, fascinated by the several expressions he seemed to be trying to overcome, all at once. "Yes," he said finally, back straight. "Thank you, doctor. Is there anything else?"

Pharma turned back to Updraft. "Be good. Sparklets are rare these days, you know. Look after yourself." That seemed to be all, and Dreadwing and Skyquake stepped back to let him leave the room.

Starscream, in silence, took the bag and placed it on the nearest table. At the same moment, Skyquake stuck his head into the room.

"Good to meet all of you," he said. One optic winked at Updraft when he turned to her. "But this is about all we can take of Starscream and Vos." The big mech stepped fully into the room, Dreadwing close behind and hand held out. "It's been an experience."

" _What?_ " Starscream's optics bulged in shock. Normally Updraft loved that face of his. "You're _leaving_ my service? After all I've done for you?"

"This city is not for us," Skyquake said flatly. "We'd be more comfortable elsewhere."

"You can't! You're actually _useful!_ Do you know how rare that is?! You're—"

"Returning to Kaon." Skyquake turned to Updraft, nodding to her. "It was a pleasure serving you, little one. This life wasn't as easy as we expected."

"You can't!" Updraft said, before she could think about it.

Everyone paused, and she was very aware of the silence. She shrank back, frowning hard. "You can't," she said again. "You saved my life."

"I did," Dreadwing said, turning towards her. He hadn't spoken at all yet. "It was an honour, little one."

"But we have no loyalty to the Air Commander," Skyquake said, cutting in.

Updraft wasn't entirely sure what pushed her forward now. "But _I_ want you to stay!"

"Why?" Skywarp said, to her right. He sounded genuinely surprised. Updraft was surprised, too, at how her spark twisted up at the thought of allies leaving her, a couple of degrees closer to Starscream.

"I want them to protect me," she said. Her voice was firm, and she looked hard at Dreadwing. "I-I'll feel safer. Maybe you'll save my life again. And Starscream is never home anyway, so you'll hardly see him!"

She could feel Skywarp and Thundercracker's disbelief on her. All she felt was the need to not be alone.

Skyquake grinned, briefly, at her, and it was the most emotion she had seen out of either of them. When he turned back to Starscream, his face became stony. "My twin and I pride ourselves on our loyalty," he said. "We did our best for you, but the only good we could find was the money. And her."

"Then get out already," Starscream snapped. "Primus knows my only other good lieutenants are enamored with my daughter, I have enough of that. And now that _everyone_ knows I have her..."

"...and that you don't take care of her..."

"Enough, Skywarp," Starscream said quickly. He shifted uncomfortable. "We all make mistakes. The Air Commander's heir will have the same enemies I do."

Dreadwing touched Skyquake's shoulder, and Updraft watched them carefully. Something unspoken passed between them, before they turned back to her.

"Why don't you want us to leave?" he asked. The others could hear them, of course, but his voice was low enough that it didn't matter. "Is it really that you would feel safer? You are very safe in your home, and here."

Updraft looked away, at her blanket. "Well...I don't know," she said. "I don't want you to leave."

Dreadwing and Skyquake exchanged another look. Skyquake frowned hard, but when Dreadwing turned back to her his face was gentle. Updraft felt the others' optics on them, and their disbelief, but she focused in on Dreadwing's face.

"When you save someone's life, you form a bond," he said. His words were careful. "It can't be broken regardless of why you saved them. Is that what you feel?"

" _Please,_ " Thundercracker said under his breath.

Dreadwing ignored him, but Updraft glanced at Skywarp at that moment and saw his face deep in thought. She turned quickly back to Dreadwing, because Skywarp generally only went puddle-deep in thought and she couldn't be distracted. Dreadwing was treating her like a grown-up bot.

"I don't know," she said quietly. "Maybe that's what it is. I just...want you to stay."

"My twin would like to go home," Dreadwing said. "But...I wouldn't object to staying with you, little one. Your world is safe, but it can become very dangerous. Which you've learned."

"For spark's sake," Starscream groaned. He put his hands on his hips, looking hard at them. "I should have expected this from no good, low-caste-"

"If we leave your service," Skyquake said, straightening up, "we'll no longer have any reason to defend you. And I've never worried much about the law, sir."

He raised his hands. Cracked his knuckles. Skywarp squeaked, and Starscream's optics appeared to be trying to leave his head. Updraft sat up, bolt upright.

"Then you should both stay!" she said quickly. "And he'll keep paying you, as long as you're nice!"

She had never assumed about Starscream like this before. At least, not in any positive way. Updraft braced herself, imagining what he'd be like when they finally got home, when she would be alone in the apartment with him.

But he didn't do anything. He opened his mouth to speak, and closed it after a moment, looking like he'd woken up without wings.

"Fine," he sighed, sagging from the shoulders. "Fine. Be her bodyguards or something if you want, you'll still be paid well. But you'll be on call," he added. "I need fine soldiers."

Skyquake grinned darkly. "We're fine mercenaries, aren't we? Hard to lose."

"My daughter needs rest," Starscream said. He looked straight at Updraft, who resisted the urge to hide under her blanket. "We're done here. Everyone out."

"But, boss-"

"You too, Skywarp," he snapped. "Out."

Updraft's friends filed out slowly, Skyquake first. He turned to her and winked just before he left, and Updraft felt Skywarp's hand brush her cheek as he passed. It was affectionate, and she realized how much she'd missed them. Maybe they'd saved her once too, and that's why they couldn't leave.

Starscream shut the door on Thundercracker, who had paused to give Updraft a last look, and then they were alone. Updraft watched him settle himself in Skywarp's vacated seat, and wondered if they'd ever spoken properly like this. Without anyone to act for, and no distractions like work or flight or partying.

"Well," Starscream said.

Updraft made sure she looked into his optics. She shifted uncomfortably, under her thermoblanket, waiting for something angry or mocking. "Well?" she said back.

He frowned. "Well, I thought you were gone for good!" he snapped. There was the familiar bark, but none of the bite Updraft knew. Starscream's optics dimmed. "Look at yourself. Imagine asphyxiating to death, like an organic! You were foolish."

"Well, I didn't as-phyx-iate," Updraft said, sounding out the word carefully. She frowned too, pulling her shoulders inward. "And—and it's not like you would have cared anyway," she said, mustering up some of her leftover courage. "You could do the same things without me."

Starscream stared at her, and Updraft braced for impact. It never came, and Updraft began to wonder what _would_ have happened if she'd never been found. Starscream sighed, a soft huff from his vents.

"I didn't want you," he said bluntly. Updraft slumped. It wasn't that she hadn't known, but it stung. "But you exist," Starscream added after a moment. He reached out, and tapped Updraft's cheek with one claw. She flinched, and he pulled back like he'd been burned. "And you're mine. I have a right to raise you as I please. Don't forget that you live in the finest building in Vos, and were carried by its finest Seeker."

Updraft didn't respond. Thundercracker would probably tell her, gently, not to be too surprised by all this. He and Skywarp would leave her books and candy, maybe toys, and it wouldn't make her feel any better. She was preparing to pull the blanket back over her head when Starscream spoke again.

"I'd be...unhappy if my only heir got herself killed. That's an understatement, really." Updraft looked back up, and realized that Starscream wasn't looking her way. He was staring at his scraped knuckles, turning his fingers over in his lap. "You wouldn't even have made it to full upgrade. I don't condone that level of failure for anyone, much less myself."

Updraft remembered Thundercracker's anger at the party, at Updraft's grimy condition. How in Starscream's anger, he kept her friends away and kept her at home, for reasons Updraft barely understood. She understood this even less.

She said nothing, waiting for Starscream to look up. When he did, he smiled, and it glinted cold and humourless. Updraft relaxed. She knew that face, even when normally it made her recoil.

"Always remember you are mine," he said, optics glinting. "I carried you on my spark, and that means a part of me resides in you. So you will become something, of course. I expect nothing less. Have we reached an understanding?"

Updraft stayed silent, but after a moment she forced a nod. Starscream chuckled, reaching out to pat her cheek again. Her spark twisted, and she folded her hands under the blanket. Maybe Thundercracker knew why Starscream was so confusing.

"Now then!" Starscream said quickly, standing up. "I have paperwork to do so you can be released, and so the Council forgets this whole fiasco. So rest, my dear. I'll see you when we go."

He strode out of the room, wings perked up high. For the first time, Updraft couldn't catch the moment Starscream forgot he had her.

She waited for someone else to come in, but no one did. She ended up picking up the tablet Thundercracker had left, thumbing through it until she found a program saved she liked. She had to stop when the nurse came with energon and took it away, promising they'd give it back later at Updraft's protests. Bored, she took her energy and recharged some more. In her dreams, she saw Starscream's shaking, scraped knuckles.

Voices woke her back up, but she worked to look asleep. Adults tended to say much more interesting things when they thought little audials weren't on them.

"I think he's afraid." Skywarp, conspiratorial.

"Well, of course. He takes her existence for granted." Thundercracker, hushed in case Updraft woke.

"No, I think he's afraid of what people will think. When they find out he let this happen."

"Mm. That's part of it," Thundercracker said. There was the sound of him picking something up. "I mean...I don't think he thought of her as a _person_ until now. More like a pet."

Updraft stiffened up, but neither of them seemed to notice as Skywarp spoke.

"Yeah, and? He's worried people will see how he treats his pet."

"I know that," Thundercracker said impatiently. "It's deplorable. But I think she's one of his...you know, circle. You saw him when he thought she'd-"

"Don't remind me," Skywarp said, his voice taking on a darker turn. "He left a dent in my fragging shoulder while we were waiting, and I didn't even notice till today."

They were quiet. Updraft heard Thundercracker put whatever it was he'd fidgeted with back.

"TC?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think we saved her life too?"

A pause. Updraft willed her optics to offline darker. "What?"

"What do you think she'd be doing, if I hadn't opened her door? Do you think that stuff Dreadwing said, about-"

"Oh, for Primus's sake. It's Kaonian superstition, Skywarp. Low-caste stuff. Just keep an optic on her," Thundercracker said. His voice softened. "And on Starscream, honestly. He's _Starscream_ , but..."

Skywarp sighed. "Yeah. He's still Starscream."

Updraft had always figured Skywarp and Thundercracker understood her carrier best. They seemed to step around his moods no problem, and could talk back to him without retribution. She guessed she was still right about that. The frustrating thing was that they still didn't seem to understand much.

A few days passed. What everyone considered extremely important discussions, about how her life would change, were discussed (Starscream was present only sometimes), and Updraft only got interested once. From now on, when Starscream left the city for whatever reason, she would join him. Along with her new "personal guard," and Skywarp and Thundercracker.

She would never be alone.

Finally, she was discharged. She got her first taste of her medication and spit it out in disgust. It was

only Thundercracker threatening to hold her mouth open, and Dreadwing's firm presence (she couldn't let him think she was a _baby_ ), that got it in her in the end.

"Now I just feel sicker," she whined in Skywarp's arms, on their way out. They'd be taking a shuttle, because Updraft couldn't very well be carried across town. Her feet wobbled when she tried to stand up.

"It takes awhile," Skywarp said. "That stuff's slag, I would never make you take it if it didn't help."

He hesitated at the shuttle doors, because Skywarp and Thundercracker wouldn't actually be going with her. They'd protested, even if it meant the shuttle, and Updraft had been loudest of all, coming close to a tantrum for the first time in her life. But Starscream wanted her used to her new bodyguards. The thought of trouble later, alone in the penthouse, stopped her. Now he remembered Updraft existed, and she'd have to be careful.

"Enjoy babysitting," Skywarp said, as he handed Updraft off to Dreadwing. "Still can't imagine why you agreed to this."

"Someone has to make a warrior of her," Dreadwing said wryly. "I will see you in Iacon, lieutenant."

"See ya." Skywarp gave them a poor salute and stepped back. He looked much too serious, so Updraft stuck her tongue out at him. It worked, and his grin lit up.

"Yes, yes," Starscream said, waving them off. "You'll see her soon enough. Let's get this _shuttle ride_ over with."

His wings were twitching in irritation, and Updraft grinned too.

Updraft was starting to like the twins' size. Dreadwing set her between himself and Skyquake on the bench, across from Starscream. They were broad, and interesting, and made her feel safe. Just what she'd said she wanted. She stared at Starscream, looking distinctly uncomfortable as the shuttle whirred to life and he moved, not of his own volition.

"Are you really taking me to Iacon?" she asked him. Starscream's optics flicked online.

"I suppose I have to," he drawled. "You can't be home alone any more."

"So Dreadwing and Skyquake are gonna watch me there?" she said.

"If that's what they wish," Starscream said, and turned to look out the window. His distaste for the arrangement was no secret.

Starscream had insisted that he not lose Dreadwing and Skyquake's "services," whatever those may be. Updraft wasn't sure, and no one would tell her what soldier's missions consisted of. So they would go where he asked them, or with him when he needed company. But they were serving _her,_ and both had been clear about it.

She turned to Skyquake, craning her head up to look. "Have you ever been to Iacon?"

He grinned at her. "No, little one. I'm looking forward to the vacation."

Starscream's optics were shuttered, and he _hmmphed,_ but said nothing. Updraft was still shaky on her feet and would have to be carried for awhile. She'd have to rest, which was boring, but Thundercracker had brought her yet more books and things to look at. And when it was over they'd all be going to Iacon for the new year, and the big Senate meeting.

Starscream wouldn't matter in Iacon, as far as Updraft was concerned. She was looking forward to her vacation, too.

 _What a long chapter! I thought about splitting it in two, but I think it works better as one. I hope it makes up for the wait, school is always a priority over fic. Enjoy! Up next: Iacon and all the fun that might entail ;D_


	4. Chapter 4

_This chapter was going to go further into the Iacon stuff than it turned out to, but where it ends works. Really enjoying working on it, as always! This fic does, in theory, take place in a TFP alternate canon, but I've brought some more IDW elements into the pre-war setting (like the mentions of Nominus Prime). Some familiar faces coming up in this chapter and future ones, so enjoy!_

* * *

Starscream had put the ordeal of carrying Updraft well into his past. It had been a nightmare of bedrest and discomfort, trying to do his job from his suite while keeping the whole affair from his lieutenants. His very nosy lieutenants, and anyone _else_ on Cybertron who thought his personal life was their business.

Restless recharge. Nausea. An insistent push against his spark chamber and the constant, gentle hum in his audials of a growing spark. Everything, even his most base frequencies, were wrong. Alone in the dark, his curtain drawn to block out Vos's lights, he'd whispered to the spark to stop driving him _crazy._ That he had work to do, and they were wasting his time and his life.

He also murmured that at least they would belong to him. An heir was hard to come by, and Skywarp and Thundercracker certainly weren't that. At least they would have everything Starscream was to bask in.

Near the end, Starscream had been kept awake by renewed discomfort and a faint glow, radiating from his spark chamber and filling his suite with red light.

"You had better be smart," he'd gritted out that last awful night. "You had better be beautiful, and obedient. You had better stay out of my way."

His physician's first queries about the sire had been met with such venom that she had simply stopped asking. Starscream had filled in _that_ information secretly, and placed it in the bureau of private records himself, in person—after Updraft had been extracted. There was no use paying the fine for unknown parentage if nobody would be giving out the record anyway.

Carrier's status took precedence, but he couldn't be too careful.

He'd disappeared for months before, though never quite this mysteriously. When Thundercracker's calls went from irritated to anxious, he packed them both to Luna 2 in place on his own presence.

He had been sick, and exhausted, and infuriated. His physician was paid well, to keep her mouth shut and his care exemplary. She had been Vos's primary spark specialist—and for the first month he'd known, she had patiently batted away his requests for termination.

 _It's too late, Air Commander, sir. They're too big on your spark, so termination will take you with it._

Skywarp and Thundercracker were given no explanation, of course. Eventually they'd stopped asking. When he was free, and called them home, he put up with Skywarp's teasing as he always had, snapping when it cut too close. No different from when they were newly forged, under the same mentor. With the spark off, he would return to work. Things would go back to how they'd always been.

They had not. They never would, and it had been uncharacteristically foolish of Starscream to think otherwise.

He had hired a nurse, of course, to keep the newspark quiet and out of his way. A slightly lower-caste flier than Starscream preferred, but soft spoken and easily cowed. He had successfully kept Updraft of the Vosian Heights fed, clean and watched over. A tiny red frame, that could barely hold its own head up, not quite lost in the arms of his hired help.

The problem was the noise.

Starscream had brushed over information about the carrier bond in the data packets. It simply didn't apply to him, because there was no use in a sparklet until it was old enough to fly. Any offspring of his would be independent, in any case.

He had been wrong, and disgusted by it. Updraft had cried so loudly, so despairingly from down the hall that he had had to investigate. The nurse repeated what Starscream realized doctors had told him—carriers best soothed their offspring. The connection between related sparks was quite strong, and until the little creature could think for themselves they would want that close contact.

"But even so," the infuriating, soft-spoken nurse said, facing the window as Updraft wailed. "They're more fussy than other families I've worked for. Needy."

Starscream had slammed the door, and gone flying.

Eventually, and only after weeks without real rest, he'd agreed to recharge with them. He could no longer stand the anguished, loud cries from the room over. He had thought this would be a chore, of constant crying in his ear for energon and attention. But maybe he'd finally get _some_ sleep.

As it turned out, all Updraft had wanted was to snuggle down against Starscream's chestplates and power down. Even awake they had only stared at him, with the wide red optics that had been Starscream's only relief. Primus help him if they'd come out Iacon blue, or a sallow yellow. Green and purple had been unlikely, but even more horrifying prospects. And you never did know what they'd be.

In any case, it had been a solution, at least overnight. The nurse fed the newspark when he arrived that morning, and Starscream simply stopped working at home. Only now did his spacious offices in Vos and Iacon get real use, and he could put the newspark's wailing behind him. Only when he was home did he take her before recharge, and get his own rest through her warm little presence.

He almost liked them, when they were quiet and still. He could stroke their helm and whisper the same things he had when he carried.

And, to his relief, they'd learned quickly. Toddling along the hallway in first steps, and reaching more often for the affectionate nurse than for Starscream himself. He was told that his offspring's first words were "fast jets" and that they spent hours watching fliers go by.

This pleased Starscream, to the nurse's obvious surprise. He had done the same thing when newly forged, tucked against a window with Skywarp and Thundercracker on either side. He'd just had much less time to wait before spreading his wings. He couldn't imagine being born without them, as Updraft now had.

By upgrade time, Updraft wasn't sleeping with him at all. One day they insisted to their nurse, when playfully asked, that _she_ was a femme and that was that. Normally they didn't think to tell you until after their upgrade. Or so Starscream had read. The processor and vocalizer were ready then, for bigger words and wider-ranging thoughts.

So he commissioned her sparklet body early. Sleek and red—any child of his would be beautiful. While she was in surgery, he dismissed the nurse. She would be able to pour energon for herself now. Work out how to get whatever else she needed. Become self-sufficient, like Starscream himself. He had hated having a stranger in his home, even a gentle one who had never so much as stolen a rust stick. Who looked close to crying when Starscream told him to collect his things, and that no, he couldn't say goodbye.

When she woke up, in her room at home and fresh into a new frame, he had been waiting. He told her all this, and left for a party.

Things would return to how they were. They had, for some time. Several months passed, and cursory checks revealed she was recharging, and taking her energon safely. She wasn't tearing the place apart. Starscream continued enjoying his life, and waiting for her to grow up.

He'd thrown a party, as he always did, and checked on Updraft to ensure she was in her room. Then he'd gotten very drunk, and flirted outrageously with one of the new graduates. At some point his lieutenants had discovered Updraft's presence, and Skywarp had given her a bath. A _bath,_ like a nursemaid. He had put her to bed and told Thundercracker all about it. And Thundercracker, moral and rigid that he was, had let Starscream have it when he was still sleepy and hungover.

They had shamed him—and Starscream would be in the Pit before he admitted that—cleaned his daughter up, and clearly formed a bond. How dare they? How dare they make it so clear that he had failed somewhere? They had no relation to her, though the physicians had clearly suspected one might be the sire.

(He'd heard the medical staff guessing once, when he had supposedly been in recharge. They had been wildly off course each time, to his relief.)

Tutoring her had supposed to be a punishment, while he swept himself off to Kaon early. What he had done there was none of their business, because Thundercracker would get himself into a moral outrage all over again. He hadn't been gone _that_ long, anyway, but when he'd returned he'd found his daughter...attached. Skywarp and Thundercracker had been just as taken with her, taking her on outings and giving her gifts. Even the brothers from Kaon, supposedly among the most dangerous warriors currently online, had spoken sweetly to her and gotten down to her level.

Thundercracker had done his job. Updraft clearly knew more than when Starscream had left, and had plenty to read in the apartment. Intent on getting his subordinates back to work, Starscream had sent them away. And expected things to _finally_ return to how they should be.

And had almost gone crazy, listening to Thundercracker and Skywarp pester him for news of Updraft.

"She racks up my water bill, and uses up my cleaners."

"Good," Skywarp had said, infuriating as ever. He'd started ignoring them. It was easy to ignore Updraft herself.

Too easy. He had been home an hour one night, before he'd realized he hadn't heard her small footsteps in the apartment. When he had searched for her, he'd found an open drawer, and old shanix cards missing.

Halfway out the door, he'd gotten the message from Dreadwing. That he had her—in _Lower Vos—_ and was taking her to a hospital. Her spark was fading.

Starscream hadn't felt in control of himself as he raced off the balcony, transforming as he leaped. Didn't think twice as he told his two lieutenants where to meet him, and why. He'd shrieked at doctors to do their slagging job, and that they would never work in this city again if she died. He'd gone silent when asked how she had gotten so far to begin with. Only Skywarp and Thundercracker had seen the shake in his plating as they waited. But hiding from them had failed time and again. When it came to Updraft, they always seemed to figure it out.

He had finally, finally admitted defeat when he'd seen Updraft in a hospital berth, still and quiet. Admitted to himself that he might not get over it if her spark went out. Worried that, if she lived, that someone would take his heir away from him.

That, Primus forbid, they'd crack open that private record and find her sire. Lower her caste appropriately, and shred her future.

He had begrudgingly allowed others back into his home. Tutoring suited serious, intelligent Thundercracker. Skywarp was almost a child himself, and tired her out with play. His new mercenaries were taken with her, to the point of declaring allegiance to _her_ rather than him. He still paid them for their dirty work, of course, but it was clear where they'd thrown in their lot.

And Starscream adapted. He spoke to her occasionally, during her slow recovery. Came home often enough, and checked long enough to really be sure she was taking her medicine and being educated. _Parented,_ or the closest he would ever get to it. He had finally realized there was no other recourse. No going back.

* * *

 _CRACK!_

Updraft shrieked in delight and Thundercracker groaned. In the other doorway, Skywarp appeared, grinning widely and waving in their direction. Updraft had nearly climbed onto the table watching him teleport, her optics wide. "Do it again!"

"No," Thundercracker said, again. "No more, Skywarp. You're distracting her."

Updraft and Skywarp sighed in unison, and Updraft turned back to her history questions as Skywarp teleported back towards the cupboards. Leaning on the doorframe, Skyquake held out a hand, and Skywarp tossed a bag of rust sticks neatly into his grasp. Thundercracker watched Updraft frown in concentration over her work, and wondered where the little femme vibrating to learn had gone. Skywarp had realized that his party trick had a number one fan, and since then none of them had ever heard the end of it.

Another typical afternoon at the biggest penthouse in Vos.

Updraft's recovery had been longer than expected, but bearable, because after the first few days Starscream had drifted towards his duties and parties. He stopped by more often, mostly as an observer, and gave them all fewer reasons to lose their sanity. Thundercracker was satisfied that he was, at least, paying attention to Updraft's existence.

If Skywarp and Thundercracker had to be at Starscream's side, at least one of the Kaonians was posted inside the door. They weren't required to keep her company, but Updraft never seemed unhappy if she had been left with them. She was more wary, but Thundercracker liked that. If they gave her trouble, he trusted her to tell him.

"I thought we'd see you in Iacon," Skywarp said the first day, as they passed the new guard.

Skyquake grinned, crooked. "Trip postponed, apparently."

So they'd put up with each other. It had been...better. Than expected. Longer than expected, too, but Starscream's trips went with his whims.

Thundercracker had stopped worrying about them. They'd proven themselves trustworthy, at least when it came to Updraft's safety. He'd still like to know what, exactly, their job description was outside of "sparklet bodyguard." It certainly wasn't all they did.

The first time Starscream had put both the big mechs up to some _mission,_ Thundercracker and Skywarp had simply taken Updraft home with them. She'd still been weak, still fussing at her medication, but she'd loved their small apartment and Skywarp's enormous vidscreen. She was still asking for another "sleepover," still teasing them about taking a private shuttle, but Thundercracker was content to come to the penthouse for her lessons. It meant he could keep an optic on her behaviour, too—and not let her rack up his energon bills. She had bathed twice at their place.

"You waste," he'd heard Dreadwing telling her one day as he entered, and found Updraft with paint scrubbed right off her shoulders. The realization she could do damage had convinced her to cut down to one bath a day, though they'd hesitated to bother her. He knew Skywarp's spark still twisted when he remembered her dirty face.

Starscream, of course, complained that his place had a revolving door these days. But never in public, where he smiled and preened at people's questions about Updraft.

Yes, she's doing well. Of course her lessons are advanced, she's _my_ daughter. Oh, no, I'm afraid she's still recovering. No visitors.

Thundercracker found himself agreeing, when Starscream growled about nosy senators and useless questions. Not everyone saw through Starscream, and seeing nobles prance away with their latest bit of Updraft gossip made him want to growl, too.

It was better if her outings were limited for now. Her uncles (what Skywarp had taken to calling them all) would take good care of her.

How Thundercracker had let a sparklet take over his life to the degree she had, he couldn't hope to guess. But every afternoon he showed up to see her, with whatever lesson he had decided would be interesting that day. The afternoons most like his pre-Updraft life, where he had to accompany Starscream, he found himself missing her and all her chatter. He even missed her troublemaking.

And now that things had settled down—well. Thundercracker had learned to take deep calming vents sometimes, when she talked back, or filled the washrack to the top of the doorframe with bubbles. Again. And again. Almost every day, some new little game, pushing their limits to see what she could get away with.

It was hard to get her to stop these antics, with Skywarp helping her every step, and the twins standing to the side and letting her "learn from experience." He only seemed to step in if Updraft managed to put her life in danger, entirely possible in a penthouse set thousands of feet off the ground. Starscream had locks installed on the balcony doors after the third time someone found her leaning far over the edge, waving at jets going by.

"If you fall off the balcony you're certainly not going to Iacon," Thundercracker told her after the third incident. The new locks would probably prevent it (unless Skywarp taught her how to pick them, of course), but he noticed she stayed well away after that revelation.

"When are we going to Iacon?" she'd ask someone, every morning. "Soon," was the answer, for much longer than anyone anticipated.. She even started asking Starscream, who seemed surprised she'd bother to talk to him in the first place.

"No," he said, brow raised.. "I decide when. Just be ready."

The others had no answer for her anyway. They didn't know any better than Updraft

Thundercracker worried she'd try getting to Iacon herself, but she seemed to have learned that lesson already. In any case, Updraft didn't have to worry about losing touch with them again. The first thing they'd done when she had recovered was install a little comm unit, the most basic kind for citywide messages. She got their frequencies, and in the evenings Thundercracker and Skywarp often got a cheerful goodnight call. He found himself looking forward to them—though each time he reminded her that the comm was only for emergencies.

One morning, an insistent comm woke him out of his recharge. He groaned, and pushed Skywarp off his chest so he could sit up and answer it. _"What?"_ he asked, only then realizing it was Updraft's frequency and not Starscream's.

"We're leaving today!" Updraft's excited voice said to him. "Starscream says you have to come and help me pack! Come on!"

Thundercracker would have sworn, but remembered in time who he was speaking to. "Is your carrier joking?" he asked weakly, as Skywarp clicked his optics on. "Did he put you up to this? We usually get some warning—"

"Nope!" Updraft said cheerfully. "He decided he wants us to go in time for the new year's festival, not after. So—I have to go. Bye!"

"But I thought we _were_ going before—Updraft?"

The comm clicked off. Thundercracker sighed, and gave Skywarp a shake.

"Hey. Looks like our trip's been moved up. C'mon."

Skywarp groaned, and reached for Thundercracker's arm again. He let Skywarp flop back onto the berth, and headed for the washracks.

When they were finally out the door, Skywarp grumbling all through their flight, and to Starscream's apartment, they found...chaos. Or, the closest one got to chaos from a small sparklet and her carrier.

Starscream was sitting slumped over a small bag, watching as Updraft raced from drawer to drawer, pulling out sweetsticks and books and whatever else she had decided they needed. Skywarp grinned. Thundercracker tried not to laugh out loud.

He ended up giving Starscream a long look, and the great Air Commander of Vos narrowed his optics, slumping further. His wingtips drooped.

"She's _feral,_ " Starscream said, and Thundercracker suppressed his grin. Stepping forward, he caught the little red blur by her shoulder. She looked up at him, almost vibrating with excitement.

"Hi!" she said up at him, and Thundercracker allowed himself a smile.

"Good morning," he said. "Are you giving your carrier trouble?"

Starscream bristled next to him, and Thundercracker ignored it. Updraft grinned, shaking her head. "I'm just excited!"

"I know." Thundercracker let her race off again. "Two cleaning cloths, your good polish, and a few books you'd like to read on the way. One package of sweetsticks—yes, _one,"_ he said, as her face fell. "Starscream has a place in Iacon. That's all you need."

She needn't have been disappointed at the lack of candy, either, since Thundercracker could see Skywarp stuffing a bag with as many sweetsticks as he could carry. "I'm helping!" he said, upon Thundercracker's accusatory look.

"Where are your guards?" he asked Starscream. There was still a smile twitching at his lips. "You didn't call them to corral your feral little beast?"

"They're meeting us in Iacon," Starscream said, shifting uncomfortably. "They had...work. So I was stuck with her."

Work Starscream had given them, and only had himself to blame for. Thundercracker folded his arms. "Why didn't you just...tell her what to pack?"

Starscream threw up his hands. "She was excited! And if I tell her what to _do, you'll_ get angry at me, for _mistreating her_ or whatever it is you say I do!"

Thundercracker decided to ignore him completely from that point on, and stepped away, finding Updraft sticking as many polish containers as she could into her back. Thundercracker pulled all but the best one out, before bringing her hands back and neatly closing the bag.

"We're going soon," he said. Right away she brightened, and it was so good to see Updraft as she should be, full of energy and excitement. He'd take an excited troublemaker over sick and fussy any day. "So listen carefully for when Starscream tells you to get going, okay?"

Updraft frowned. "Won't you tell me?"

Thundercracker handed her the bag and stood up, stretching his wings. "I can, but sometimes you'll have to listen to him too. Just like how Skywarp and I have to listen to him sometimes."

Updraft reached for his hand as they left the washrack, and he took it with only a little hesitation. Physical affection was more Skywarp's gig...but it was nice. Her little hand squeezing his, and her steps jogging to catch up to his longer ones.

"Why do you listen to Starscream?" she asked, in the doorway of the main room. The mech in question was checking the locks on his balcony, and Skywarp had devolved to just eating the sweetsticks. Thundercracker raised a brow at Updraft, reaching out and taking the bag from Skywarp.

"We were forged from the same hot spot," Thundercracker said in a low voice. "So we've...always been together. Even if it's..."

"Hard?" Updraft supplied. He sighed.

"Yes. Let's talk about it later," he said, watching Starscream approach them. Updraft was quick to let go of Thundercracker's hand and stand something to attention, but her carrier said nothing. He straightened up, flicking his wings like there was someone to preen for.

"The shuttle's waiting," he said to them, thrusting his own small bag out to Skywarp. "It's a long flight, and I'm not turning around."

"You're not gonna fly?" Updraft asked. Starscream stared in disbelief, and Thundercracker hated the way she shrank back.

"I thought they'd taught you geography," Starscream said, sweeping past them towards the door. "Iacon is in another hemisphere. You'd fall out of the sky trying to reach it alone."

Updraft frowned at her little bag, clearly thinking hard on this. Thundercracker wondered how far she'd dreamed of flying.

By the time they reached the private shuttle, big and lavish, Updraft was on Skywarp's shoulders and full of questions again.

"I thought you wouldn't be caught dead in a shuttle," she said to Thundercracker, as they were ushered aboard and she was dropped into a seat. She said this every time they took one together, and it didn't seem to get old. He could already tell from the way her optics glittered, that this would be a long eight hours.

"I took one with you from the hospital, didn't I?"

"But before that!" Updraft said, leaning insistently on his knee.

Thundercracker leaned back and shut off his optics. "I hate _city_ shuttles. It's different going to other states."

"Like Starscream said? You'd fall out of the sky?"

A loud purple _CRACK_ in the air announced Skywarp's presence, and Thundercracker didn't answer. Updraft laughed so loudly that Starscream poked his head in from the adjacent section. He looked daggers at his daughter, who shrank back. Skywarp relaxed, grinning and turning her towards his seats.

"Let's play a game on your datapad. Looks like a certain couple of someones need a nap."

Starscream shut the door in disgust, and Thundercracker tried to tune them out. The _children_ might as well play the trip away, and he'd catch up on his recharge.

* * *

It _was_ a long eight hours.

By the time they passed over the acid wastes, Updraft was missing the filth and crime of Lower Vos. At least it was _something_. No matter how colourful the sunsets here supposedly were, it got dark early this time of year and they'd missed it. She lay upside down in her seat, helm barely skirting the ground and arms splayed. She could tell Starscream was bored too, because he'd taken to pacing between the two shuttle sections, occasionally barking at the pilot for an update.

Updraft had thought he'd know where they were. He left on his trips all the time.

Even Skywarp's teleports had gotten old, though not to him—at one point, he'd miscalculated and landed just outside the shuttle. Updraft had heard his squawk of indignation of he'd fallen through the air, and it had been a few minutes before a black and purple jet had caught up and calmed her nerves. She had burst into tears when Starscream told her that, no, they wouldn't be turning around for "his stupid aft."

"Watch your language," Thundercracker snapped, and Updraft spent some time snuggled sulkily against him, assured Skywarp was fine, and had done this multiple times.

It was a relief for all of them when the pilot announced Iacon. No matter what Thundercracker claimed, not even he was a patient creature, and this was wearing them all down. Skywarp had sat in every possible position the past half hour, and Starscream had scuffed the floor with his heels from pacing the aisle. Even Thundercracker was kicking his feet idly against the seat ahead, books forgotten. Updraft had tried to nap, and failed.

Suddenly Iacon was bright below them. When it occurred to Updraft they were _finally_ here, she raced over Skywarp's knees to get to the biggest window. Her optics went wide, her faceplate pressed against the glass.

Where Vos shone, Iacon glittered. Updraft didn't even mind that they were near the ground, because every highway was lit up with colour. She watched mechs speed past below them, ones of all shapes and colours. On the walkways she could see even more, and her vents hitched in excitement. Wings were the most beautiful, and fliers flashed past them too, but the variety was exciting. The colours were gaudy, not the muted, fashionable palettes Vosians preferred.

Updraft decided right away: she loved it.

They landed high up, to her delight. The buildings they landed between stretched towards the sky, higher than the others and closer to the clouds Updraft knew. They shimmered white, with wide windows that showed airy rooms.

But most amazing were the lanterns.

At least a half dozen hung from every balcony, of all colours. Most had many more. Glyphs in Neocybex and the Primal Vernacular were handwritten on most of them. They swayed gently as the shuttle touched down, the coloured light hitting the walls in all directions. Updraft caught the optic of a mech stringing out a green lantern, and he grinned at her. His face was almost alien, caught in the coloured light as it was.

"Where are we, Updraft?" Thundercracker asked her, as he reached down to hand her her bag. Updraft was about to open her mouth, to say Iacon, of course, but realized in time that this was a lesson. Starscream's optics were sharp on her as she said, "The Spires. The high-caste district of this city."

Thundercracker smiled, as Starscream gave her a curt nod and stepped off the shuttle. "Good girl. Tomorrow, we'll go over a little history."

Updraft wasn't listening. Outside, in the cold night air, the lanterns were even brighter.

Someone picked her up, and she squeaked in surprise. She hadn't realized until she was in Skywarp's arms that she'd been staring from the shuttle ramp.

"They know how to party in Iacon," he said. He gave her a mischievous look. "Wait till you see what they do when the year changes over."

Updraft wriggled, already anticipating. She wasn't sure what could be more beautiful than this.

Starscream frowned. "It's gaudy."

"I like it," Updraft said. When he turned away in annoyance, she stuck her tongue out at the backs of his wings and earned a black look from Thundercracker.

Skywarp carried her up to the apartment, and it was only crossing the threshold that Updraft realized how tired she was. She wasn't sure why, when she'd done nothing all day. "It's small," she said into his shoulder. Starscream made another annoyed sound, tapping the counter idly.

"It's not cheap leasing in this city," he said. "Thundercracker. Skywarp. Where is Updraft going to recharge?"

Skywarp looked up, but Updraft's optics were dimming. Skywarp shifted her more comfortably and she fought not to recharge.

"I forgot there's only the two rooms," Thundercracker said.

"Well, she'll need a place!" Starscream said, and Updraft knew he must he throwing his hands up. "The guards have a barrack on another floor, the spare room is yours—Primus knows why I don't make _you_ rent elsewhere-"

"There's a pullout berth," Thundercracker said, interrupting before this got more ridiculous. "Just put her here, Skywarp. It's too small for us."

Starscream made an annoyed sound, but Updraft noticed he didn't protest as Skywarp put her down. He didn't offer to take it himself, but Updraft hadn't expected him to.

It didn't matter. It was comfortable enough, and Updraft drifted off with the lights of Iacon on her face, and her guardians speaking softly.

When she woke, it was well past morning, and Updraft was happy to stay where she was. Someone had put her new thermoblanket on her, something she'd grown to love sleeping with since her hospital visit. It was patterned with coloured jets, the same alt as Starscream and his trine. She sat up. Only now, looking off their wide balcony, did she see that Starscream's apartment had no beautiful lanterns.

She found herself alone, which made her spark sink. If nobody could be with her, one of the twins was supposed to be, but maybe they were late from their work. Maybe they had decided Updraft would sleep so long, she wouldn't notice being alone.

Well, she had. She'd tell Skywarp and Thundercracker how unhappy it made her, too. She got up, got her energon, and found that she had no access to this apartment's comm unit. Her pings to the others found no answer.

But she could get into the washrack, and, amazingly, she could reach these taps without a stool. Not as many settings as home, but she could clean up and polish the way she liked. When she was done, she did feel better. This was Iacon, and maybe in Iacon she wouldn't mind being alone.

They'd forgotten to lock the balcony, so she took her bag of sweetsticks outside, to sit against the clear barrier and see what people had put up. Maybe they would let her come out at night to see them all lit up, too. Some places only put up one colour of lantern, but others stuck as many different ones as could fit. Some people only put out one or two, but everyone's apartment except theirs had something. Updraft would ask Skywarp if they could put some out together. It sounded like something he'd like to do.

She was about to go back in when she saw a little bot, on the balcony next to theirs. Updraft looked at him in surprise, though she had seen smaller mechs before. She'd just never seen one with those proportions. They were a shiny white and grey, with red pieces on his helm. Wide blue optics, no alt mode indicators...

They looked like her. Updraft stood up to get a better look at the first other sparklet she'd ever seen.

They were looking out too, peering up over the barrier to get the best look at the lanterns. Eventually they turned, and those bright blue optics focused in on Updraft. They got wide, and the sparklet leaned over. After a worried look behind her, she got on her tiptoes to meet his gaze.

"Who are you?" they called, and grinned. Updraft guessed a boy from the voice. "My sire said that apartment's for an important Vosian. Are you from Vos?"

Updraft was suddenly shy. She'd never spoken to someone her age, only to the adults who now knew her. Maybe they weren't even her age—maybe they were close to upgrade and would think she was just a newspark. Thundercracker said she was progressing fast, but maybe it wouldn't matter.

Well, she had to try.

"Yes!" she called over. "I'm Updraft. My carrier's the Air Commander."

"That's cool," said the sparklet. "Mine's a racer. My sire's an architect." He grinned widely, and Updraft relaxed. "Where are your lanterns?"

He had an accent, the same one as the newscasters and officials on the news. "We don't have any," she said. "We just came from Vos yesterday."

"You're right next door, you know," he said. For a split second he seemed to think hard, before looking up at her again. "Hold on!" he called, and he turned to rush inside.

Updraft was confused for a moment, but a knock on their door answered her question. She had to cross the apartment to answer it, and wondered how much trouble she'd be in if Starscream chose to walk up right then. But it was only the sparklet, and she relaxed, stepping aside so he could come in.

"You speak funny," he said, and she bristled. "I know Vosians are weird, but that's a _really_ weird accent. Did you know?"

"Yours is weird," she retorted, her hands on her hips. "I speak perfectly well!" She'd gotten used to speaking Standard, with Dreadwing and Skyquake around, but to the others she only spoke their Vosian dialect. Thundercracker said the accent faded if you switched too much, as Starscream's had, and Updraft didn't want that.

"I guess you do," the sparklet said. "'Cause I understand you and all. It doesn't matter." He held out his hand in front of them. "I'm Smokescreen. I'm gonna get in big trouble if my parents get home right now."

Updraft relaxed again. She knew how mischief looked, after all that time with Skywarp. Smokescreen had it in his optics too. She took his hand, and shook it. "Me too," she said. "Someone was supposed to be home with me, but I guess they're late."

"My nurse is here," Smokescreen said, "but he's asleep. I've been _so_ bored because the Prime closed the schools. No one fun lives in this building. Where's your nurse?"

Smokescreen talked a lot, and didn't think much about his words. Updraft liked it.

"I don't have one," Updraft said, carefully placing her sweetstick bag back, before Thundercracker saw it half-eaten already. She no longer missed her nurse, with so many mechs around to spend time with her. Smokescreen looked impressed. Updraft finally remembered to get behind him and shut the door.

"You're lucky," he said. "Mine's so dull. I have to spend, like, all my time with him now, 'cause some dummies might bomb the schools."

"I don't go to school," Updraft said. "My carrier's lieutenant tutors me." She wondered if there was even such a thing in Vos for sparklets. If there were, Starscream probably wouldn't send her. Smokescreen looked even more impressed, and Updraft straightened up in pleasure. Maybe she was on more even footing than she'd guessed.

"Do you want to play Polyhex checkers?" Smokescreen asked her, pointing at the game pad on the couch's arm. "I probably have an hour before I have to go home."

"Me too," Updraft lied. She actually had no idea when someone would come through the door. Probably Dreadwing and Skyquake, who had gone from late to very late, and would be in trouble too.

She took down the pad and set up the game. At first they played with focus, but soon Smokescreen had said something funny. Then Updraft had, and they were giggling at each other more than at the board.

After the second round, Smokescreen jumped up, hands on his hips. "I'm bored," he announced. "Let's play hide and seek."

Updraft was about to call him bossy, and stand up to suggest tag, or something else, but she was otherwise interrupted.

"Updraft," said Dreadwing's voice, low and calm.

Updraft turned slowly, at the same time as Smokescreen, to see that the twins had finally arrived. Some timing! Skyquake's lips twitched, of course, in a barely suppressed grin, but Dreadwing looked stony as he regarded them.

"You're really late," she said to them, and Skyquake turned away, striding towards the balcony doors. His shoulders were already shaking from laughter. Updraft had really started to bristle at that these days (what was so funny about her?) but Dreadwing stood firm, raising a brow.

"Did you get permission to bring in guests?" he asked her, turning his gaze onto Smokescreen. Updraft shrank back a fraction, but couldn't find any real disapproval in Dreadwing's optics.

"No," she said, sparing a glance at Smokescreen. "I couldn't get a hold of my carrier. Or the others." He had frozen at the sight of the two big mechs, one of them staring him down firmly. "Should Smokescreen go home, Dreadwing?"

"I think so," Dreadwing said, and Smokescreen swallowed hard. Updraft had never really thought about how it frightening his name was. She wondered where he'd gotten it.

"I guess I'd better go, then!" Smokescreen said quickly, turning towards the door. He paused as it slid open, and Dreadwing's face finally betrayed some amusement as he straightened up. "I'll see you at the party tonight, right? It's downstairs."

"Yes," Updraft lied, wondering if one of her guards would correct her. They didn't, and Smokescreen flashed that mischievous smile, shutting the door behind him.

Now both pairs of optics were on her. She sighed.

"Don't tell."

"Relax, little one," Skyquake said. He was still barely containing his grin. "It's your lie. Nobody's selling you out to Starscream."

That didn't make her feel any better, and neither did turning to Dreadwing. She was still more wary of Skyquake, but Dreadwing could manage more dead seriousness than Thundercracker.

"How did you meet that boy?" Dreadwing asked her.

"I saw him through the back door," Updraft said, just in time avoiding saying where she'd been. From the look of Dreadwing's face, he was skeptical. "When he saw me he came over, and I let him in. We were just playing. Where were _you?_ "

Dreadwing's optics twinkled at her, and he turned towards the energon tap. "Working for your carrier, of course."

"What do you do for Starscream?" She had asked Thundercracker and Skywarp what her guards did, multiple times. The word "mercenary" didn't mean much to her, and she suspected they didn't know any better than she did.

"Nothing appropriate for little audials," Skyquake said. Now _that_ was interesting, but Updraft, try as she might, couldn't get any more out of them. When they got sick of her spinning on the barstools at the counter, Dreadwing took a blank datapad and told her a story with a simple drawing. Each stroke added to the story, until on the datapad was a simple picture of a turbofox. She spent of her time alone with them quiet, drawing the turbofox that same way over and over. She resolved to show Smokescreen, if she saw him again.

"Don't tell your guardians he showed you that," Skyquake said, surprising her. "Kaon nonsense. We learned it when we were newly forged."

"Perfectly harmless nonsense," Dreadwing said. "Less harmful than the nonsense Starscream sends us off on."

Skyquake raised a brow, and to Updraft's annoyance there was no mention of _nonsense_ for the rest of the day. She would find out, one way or another, what the twins had been hired for. She knew why they had stayed (well, she knew why Dreadwing had stayed, as Skyquake still seemed just along for the ride), but what else they did was an annoying mystery.

They didn't mention a thing when the others returned that evening, to Updraft's relief. Misgivings or not, she was safe with them. They left as the others came through, presumably to their own lodgings, and with minimal chewing out from Starscream. He was strutting, so his mood was good. Updraft relaxed.

"The thingy tonight," Skywarp said, cocking his head towards Updraft. "The big thing. Who's staying with her?"

Updraft frowned. "Can't I come?" she asked, running around to Skywarp's other side. "I'll be really good. I won't complain at all."

"You certainly won't," Starscream said, stretching in front of a mirror. "Mm. I need another polish. Supposedly Nominus and his entourage will be there."

Updraft slouched, and she was surprised at herself. She'd seen how Starscream's house parties went, and they were vile. Thrown up energon on the floor and strangers in the living room. But if Smokescreen might be there, that would be exciting. Even a loudmouth, bossy sparklet was still another sparklet. She'd liked playing with him.

"Why not, boss?" Skywarp said. They all looked up, Updraft suddenly straight-backed and hopeful as he went on. "It's not like...well, a Vos party. It's a gala. And there's nothing out of place, nothing broken on the balcony...looks like she behaved."

Updraft's poker face was so good that not even Thundercracker seemed suspicious. He nodded, slowly, and Updraft's hope rose.

"I would think you'd want to keep babysitting and your professional life separate," Starscream said, looking disdainfully at the leading edge of his wings. "Don't expect me to look out for her. And I'm not bringing those Kaonians down to be gawked at."

"So I can go?" Updraft said, excitement curling in her spark.

Starscream sighed, like doing this caused him real pain. "You had better be ready when we're going back down."

Updraft almost cheered, but Thundercracker's knowing hand on her neck stilled her. She grinned up at him instead, and was pleased when she pulled a rare smile out of him.

"Keep being good and you can help us get ready," he said, and Updraft grinned, following him and Skywarp to the washracks.

She was eager to see what an important party was like, especially when she realized all three of them were polishing to Starscream's level. Updraft had peeked in on his room once or twice, before he left for somewhere, and he always took great care to be beautiful. Skywarp and Thundercracker obviously saved their good polish for special occasions. She resisted the urge to fill the small washrack up with bubbles, even with four of them were trying to polish without elbowing arms and wings, and the temptation to make Skywarp laugh out loud with her boldness. Starscream grumbled as they worked, but no one was ordered out. So far, so good, and Updraft wouldn't chance it.

"There'll be a party every night until the new year," Thundercracker told her, as he wiped wax off his leg. "If you're good, we'll take you to the last one. When the year rolls over."

"But every night's too crazy for us, too," Skywarp said from the rack's other side. His purple and black plating was its truest shade now, brilliantly shone. Updraft could see her face in his lowest wing. "You won't be alone again."

There were a number of rules to go over, ones Updraft was already mulling over ways to break. Don't stuff your face with all the energon sweets, because you'll make your systems back up. Be polite when people address you—they'll be interested in Starscream's sparklet. Don't leave Skywarp's sight.

When they were done, the washracks dry, Updraft chose to follow Skywarp and Thundercracker to their room. It wouldn't be any fun to be in a room alone with Starscream, and they were both shining brighter than she'd ever seen them.

She sat on their berth and watched them take turns smoothing out wing edges, painting over details that needed touching up. They worked in a quiet tandem, talking in low, companionable voices. This seemed to be what being a conjux was about—partnership and company. Getting along. It must be why they could be together but Starscream stood apart. He didn't get along with anyone.

Skywarp especially seemed unusually calm, and Updraft was almost worried until he winked one optic at her.

"I'm saving my energy," he told her. "I need to do my tricks for old Nominus himself."

"You will not," Thundercracker said without looking up. He had always turned up his nose at Starscream's preening and vanity, and warned Updraft more than once there were better qualities to focus on. But she could see his care as he checked that his fingers were still filed sharp, and that the grooves in his faceplate were handsome and undented.

"You look perfect," Updraft said to him, and earned her second rare smile of the day.

The last step was done with the utmost care. A Vosian's wings was their most important asset, and great care was taken to keep them flying well. This was a superstition, really, Thundercracker had told her. But it was clearly one he followed, carefully writing the white glyphs where Skywarp's wings met his back. They'd come off in the washrack, but not a moment sooner. It would show even more firmly where they had come from, and why they flew best.

Updraft leaned over to see them. They were old style script and hard to read, but she could make out something about flying straight and true, and love. Love of the sky, but probably also the kind of love Thundercracker had for Skywarp and never admitted out loud. She wished she could read them all, but Thundercracker was done before she could see, and Skywarp was turning away to draw Thundercracker's.

No one would see them very well at the party, unless they got down to eye level with wing bases and could read true Vosian script. The important part didn't seem to be displaying them.

She wondered if Skywarp had written something silly on Thundercracker's wings, but the glyph's recipient seemed relaxed, and Skywarp frowned in real concentration. Maybe they'd let her try and read them before the night was out.

They were both doing a last once over, Skywarp stretching in front of a mirror, when Starscream strode in. He turned his back on them both, and Updraft took in how carefully he had brushed up on his details, the red finial on his forehead brightly repainted. He really was beautiful. "My wings," he said.

Thundercracker took the pen and carefully wrote something on Starscream, just as slowly as he had with Skywarp. Updraft ached to turn and read it, but her carrier was facing her and she had to sit at attention.

"Can I have glyphs?" she asked finally, as they were readying to go. Suddenly three pairs of optics were on her, and she regretted asking. Thundercracker relaxed first, shaking his head.

"When you're grown up," he said. "It's one of those things you'll have to wait on."

"One day you'll have wings yourself," Starscream added, surprising her. "Before your first flight, I'll write your first verse."

Updraft stopped herself from saying she'd rather have Thundercracker or Skywarp do it. But maybe this was the right way, if you had a carrier to do it for you. Updraft reached for Skywarp's hand, a bit hesitant after all the time they'd just spent making themselves beautiful. But he grinned at her just as easily as ever, and took her small hand in his. Same old Skywarp, under all that primp and polish. Thundercracker was holding his wings up more proudly than she'd ever seen, and Starscream walked with purpose. The annoyance that usually accompanied her presence with him was gone.

She loved Iacon.


	5. Chapter 5

_Now that Cadenza is done with, I could power through this! This chapter was loads of fun, and your guys' patience and your feedback is ALWAYS appreciated. Please enjoy!_

* * *

The main hallway was much more imposing than it had been the night before. Updraft tried to stand up straight, her strides as long as she could make them as she tried to keep up with Starscream. Behind them, Skywarp and Thundercracker walked a bit slower, intentionally for Updraft's short legs.

"I want to hold your hand going in," she whispered to Skywarp in the elevator. He'd shaken his head, and gently pressed her forwards to walk with her creator.

"Hush," Starscream said, and looked hard at her. "Don't trip on the steps."

She tried not to let it bother her, because even the hallway to the banquet room was extravagant. It had been painted with colours Updraft could only call _expensive,_ vivid shades that made her crane her neck up to see the ceiling. She recognized the painting they had put up there—the story of the lost Ark-1 and its crew. Thundercracker had made her write a paper on it.

Two guards nodded at them as they passed through the archway. They took no notice of Updraft, as if she was just as grown-up and natural as any of them. She wanted to turn around, to see what Skywarp and Thundercracker's faces held, but forced herself to straighten up and face forward.

It wasn't easy. In an instant, all optics were on them.

She looked to Starscream, briefly, for what to do. He simply nodded towards the other guests and strode forward, Updraft nearly jogging to keep up. As soon as they had all registered the arrival, the bots turned away, back to their conversations and their energon. Updraft vented out in relief.

There was a band on a semicircular, raised stage in a corner, playing just under the volume of the guests. Everyone was beautifully repainted and decorated, but Updraft quickly decided her Seekers outshone them. As Starscream left her side, she turned to smile up at Skywarp, and received a dazzling grin in return.

"Look around," Skywarp whispered to her as they split off. "But don't touch anything, okay? If we break _any_ thing, we're in big trouble." To illustrate this, he widened his optics. Then he glanced around, already scoping out where to go next.

Updraft nodded, squeezing his hand before sweeping her gaze. She saw one or two sparklets, sticking close to their probable parents and looking much more serious than Smokescreen. When she wasn't looking for him, she was watching Skywarp, and trying to carry herself with the dignity he'd pulled out for tonight. It was considerably more difficult for her, without wings or the clean lines of a Seeker.

"Skywarp," she whispered, looking around at the guests. "Is Nominus here yet?"

He shook his head. "He's supposed to come," he whispered back. "Sometimes he changes his mind, and—Blitzwing! Buddy!" Skywarp called out, letting Updraft's hand drop. A big mech, who already had the look of someone tipsy, looked up in surprise. He waved awkwardly, stiffer than Starscream's wings mid-lie.

"Don't go far, Updraft," Skywarp said. He was already distracted, of course.

"They finally let you into the big time, huh?" Skywarp exclaimed, teleporting with a _crack_ to the mech's side. Blitzwing didn't seem all that happy to see him, and Updraft almost wanted to stay and watch. Almost. She weaved back into the crowd, looking hard for that little red chevron.

A hand on her shoulder made her look up in alarm—and then grin, spinning around. Smokescreen smiled wide at her, bouncing on his heels.

"You made it!" he half-whispered, squeezing her shoulder in excitement.

She grinned back at him, and wished she had wings and detailing to show off. She'd seen Skywarp across the room, turning just so to show how his own wings shone. "I did," she said. "Did you see the energon table?"

"Oh, that's nothing," Smokescreen said. "You should see the New Year's one in a few weeks. Have you never been to a party?"

"Just my creator's ones," she said, shrugging. Starscream was laughing with some Senator (one oblivious to Starscream's false interest), and she didn't give him a second look. "You know, where people get drunk. I hate those."

Smokescreen made a face. "They have those in your apartment sometimes. So loud! They let you go?"

Updraft felt a twinge, an uncomfortable one she couldn't place, but then Smokescreen was grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the low table, and suddenly she was too distracted to answer.

She had had low-grade, and sweetsticks (wonderful), even a couple of rust sticks (too dry), but she had never seen, or _smelled,_ this kind of spread. Those were all things that came from the tap or in deliveries—the rest was too rich, she was told.

They had been right. It was all luxurious, and Updraft took it in.

She had enough time to register the little glowing candies, and the _fountain,_ before Smokescreen was pulling her aside at a bigger mech's _excuse me!_ He brought her around to the table's other side, where they could ogle in peace.

"The engex is there," he said, pointing at the neat pyramid of cubes. More colours of energon than Updraft had ever seen. " _This_ end is the good stuff."

Making sure Skywarp was where she had left him (drinking said colourful cubes, on the other side of the room), Updraft grinned and reached for her first treat.

First just a sweetstick, much smoother than the ones she knew. Then she tried the hard candies, jewel-looking things that gushed warm energon into her mouth. Smokescreen had already eaten half a plate of round silica crunches, copper shavings on his chin, before Updraft took one and simply let it melt in her mouth. Then the glowing yellow jellies, and the tiny red cubes floating in hot, sweet energon. The only things they deemed unbearable were the thin pieces of soft, rusted metal, which only smelled strong and tasted worse. She kicked her bitten one under the table.

She and Smokescreen were undisturbed, stuffing sweet after sweet into their mouths. They'd look at each other and grin, or Smokescreen would hand her one she hadn't tried, but they were otherwise silent, intent on their treats.

Updraft wished she had brought her bag. Maybe even some containers, as she dipped a hard piece into the fountain and watched it smoke, popping it into her mouth before it melted. Her fingers were filthy, covered in juice and metal shavings. When she felt like she would burst, they slipped under the tablecloth and sat cross-legged, licking their fingers clean.

"Is it like this at every Iacon party?" she whispered to Smokescreen.

"Mostly," he said. "The Prime's supposed to be here, so they're extra good."

They watched the feet of the guests, and Updraft saw Thundercracker's, pacing between the table and here. She pulled her legs up closer— being caught down here would mean trouble.

"Which one's the Prime?" she whispered to Smokescreen. She was pretty sure she'd seen Nominus before, on the newscasts, but she couldn't tell him by his _feet._

He stared at here. "He's not here yet! He gets announced, and then the Prime and his entourage will come in."

"I don't just want to see their feet _,_ " Updraft said petulantly.

"Speaking of feet," Smokescreen said, grinning widely. "Look at those heels. How do they walk?"

Updraft followed his pointing figure to Starscream's feet. One was tapping in boredom and she thought of being caught by her carrier, locked back up in their apartment. Her optics flickered.

"That's my carrier," she said, shifting uncomfortably. "Starscream. He says they're the fashion."

"They're silly," Smokescreen said.

Updraft managed a smile. She agreed, and she knew Thundercracker did, too. They were impractical, he'd told her, for the leader of Cybertron's fleet.

Soon feet got very boring. Nominus was still nowhere in sight, so they crawled back out. As they were passing by, Smokescreen took down a yellow cube of engex from the pile—from the middle, which Updraft chose to say nothing about. The pyramid wobbled, but to her relief managed to stay upright. They each took a sip, and Updraft nearly spit it out right there. _That_ was what Starscream partied every night for? Unbelievable.

They had chucked their cube, and were looking for a good seat to watch the Prime from, when Updraft felt a hand on her shoulder. Updraft jumped—then dropped her shoulders, optics dimmed.

"Hi, TC."

"Don't you ' _hi, TC_ ' me," Thundercracker said, his hand heavy on her back. She looked from him to Smokescreen, who was reminding her of a turbofox in headlights. "Who is this?"

"This is Smokescreen," Updraft said quickly. "We just met. He's my friend!"

"I thought you were supposed to stay in sight of Skywarp?" Thundercracker said, giving her a critical look. "You're a mess."

Updraft's faceplates heated up. She touched her cheek, and her fingers came back sticky. Smokescreen waved, his own hand still shiny with residue. His most winning smile didn't seem to be winning Thundercracker over any.

"Hello, sir," he said, back straight. "I live next door to the Air Commander. Here in Iacon, anyway."

"I saw him through our screen door," Updraft said quickly. "We started talking down here, and I lost track of Skywarp."

Thundercracker looked at them in a way reminiscent of him trying to make Starscream crack. When Updraft wouldn't speak, only clenching her fists, he sighed.

"We'll talk later," he said, reaching for the nearest table. He handed both of them a cleaning cloth, and stood guard until Updraft and Smokescreen had given in and wiped their face. Updraft tried not to laugh at Thundercracker's face when Smokescreen simply kicked his under the table.

The band going silent caused Thundercracker to pause. He straightened up sharply, and Updraft squeaked as he pulled her in against his side. When she followed everyone's gaze towards the entrance, she saw why—even she knew Nominus Prime on sight, all height and bulk and colour.

"He didn't have wings before," she heard Smokescreen whisper. Nominus's optics slid over the crowd, before turning to one of the bots next to him. She nodded once, and inclined her head towards him in a small bow. Everyone—his mechs, the band, the guests—all of them took time to give the Prime his due. Updraft could even see Starscream, his wings and head dipped with the flow of the crowd. A sharp tap from Thundercracker got Updraft to follow suit. She brought her head down too quickly, and stared hard at his feet. After a moment, an unspoken signal brought everyone up again. Updraft couldn't see anything in the Prime's optics from here. He nodded, and his mechs flowed past him into the crowd. The femme he had first addressed stayed with Nominus, and as the band picked up again they, too, joined a softly talking group.

A comm from Thundercracker surprised her. She rarely received them, especially not in such close quarters. Only for emergencies, she had been told, over and over again.

 _This is one rule you cannot ignore: do NOT bother Nominus Prime._

Updraft didn't answer, busy staring at Nominus across the room. Another message jolted her.

 _Are we clear, Updraft of the Vosian Heights?_

She looked up, and winced at the brightness of Thundercracker's optics. She acknowledged his message, just like she'd been taught, and he relaxed.

"I need to greet the Prime with Starscream. Be good, please?" His voice had just enough desperation for Updraft to nod firmly.

Smokescreen stepped to her side again only when Thundercracker was gone, towards the crowd now mobbing the Prime. His wings gleamed, and even his back was handsomer than most of the mechs in here.

"Is that your sire?" Smokescreen asked, in a loud whisper.

"What? No," Updraft said. Her optics went bright in surprise. "That's just Thundercracker. He's one of my carrier's lieutenants."

"Is your sire here?" Smokescreen asked. "I've seen a bunch of Seekers around tonight. I figured one of them was yours."

Updraft shrugged. "I don't know my sire. Starscream doesn't talk about them."

Smokescreen seemed thoughtful about that, even as they circled back to their candy table. "That's too bad," he said around a mouthful of jelly cubes. "Mine takes me to watch my carrier's races."

Updraft shrugged, reaching for the last silica crunch. "It's fine," she said. "I have TC and Skywarp, and my guards, and—oh!"

An adult's hand bumped hers as she reached for the pastry. Starscream had been wrong about people being interested in Updraft; so far, she and Smokescreen had gone unnoticed in their eating. Now she looked up at a stern, red-and-white mech. Clearly a doctor, from his decals, and his cool blue optics made Updraft snatch her hand right back.

The mech shook his head, pulling back. "You go on," he said. "Not that you need it, with half the table on your faces."

Updraft felt her faceplates heat up, but Smokescreen only grinned. "Thanks, old man!" he said, reaching for the treat himself. "Did you come in with Nominus?"

The doctor bristled. "I hardly see how that's your business, little one. Eat the candy."

"Oh, be nice, Ratchet," said a younger voice. Another mech was eyeing the treats laid out, his hand hovering over the plates in inspection. "I'm sure they live in this area."

"Unlike you," Ratchet the doctor said in a low voice. "Don't be greedy, Pax."

Updraft had not seen many rollers up close, and she studied these two. The doctor, she realized, she recognized—he had been on the news before, when Thundercracker watched the Senate convening. The other mech was younger, and didn't hold himself with confidence. He _did_ have pretty blue and red plating. She counted out four wheels on both of them, and had to resist the urge to touch. They looked soft, and not particularly unsightly.

The doctor raised one brow at her. "Didn't your parents teach you not to stare?"

"I've never seen wheels up close," Updraft blurted out. "Sorry, sir." She made a point of averting her gaze to Smokescreen, whose grin looked like it was in danger of splitting his face.

"You didn't tell me you'd never seen _wheels!_ " he said, popping a hard candy into his mouth.

"I've _seen_ them," Updraft said, feeling the burn of two strangers' optics on her. "Just not this close."

"You must be from Vos," Ratchet's friend said. "Your accent's a giveaway."

He smiled at them, despite Ratchet's sharp look, and Updraft knew right away he was harmless. Gentle, even, and from the way he was holding himself, not comfortable at a high-caste gala.

"I told you!" Smokescreen said triumphantly. "Vosians have accents. They _do._ "

"So do Iaconians," she said quickly, brightening her optics. She looked up, and held out her hand. "I'm Updraft," she said. "That's Smokescreen. He lives next door to me."

The younger mech bent down enough to give her hand a gentle shake. "Orion Pax. I am Ratchet's guest for the New Year's celebrations."

Updraft grinned at him. "That's a funny name, Orion Pax," she said.

Ratchet frowned. His arms were folded across his chest, as if to defend himself from two small troublemakers. "Your manners are poor, Updraft," he said flatly. Updraft bristled, but Orion Pax only smiled.

"She'll keep speaking her mind, I'm sure," Orion said. "We need more like her."

Ratchet harrumphed. "They'll both need to learn when and where yet," he said. "They're lucky they rank so high, outspoken as they are."

"You came in with Nominus," Smokescreen pointed out. The entire conversation, he had continued to shove jelly cubes into his mouth. "You must be high caste to get in here."

Ratchet's optics glittered, and he straightened up. Updraft was relieved _he_ was not her doctor.

"I'm a medical officer of the Senate," he said. Updraft watched Smokescreen's jaw drop as it occurred to him what this meant. It didn't impress _her._ "Yes, we entered with Nominus Prime. No, nothing else is your business."

It seemed to be the case, especially when a mech's voice calling "Smokescreen!" rang out over the crowd. The sparklet in question stuffed one more handful of candy into his mouth, and nudged Updraft's shoulder.

"It's been fun. I'll see you at New Year's," he said, muffled around his candy. "Took my carrier long enough. Coming, Daddy !"

Then he was gone, disappearing into the crowd. Updraft was left alone with the doctor and his guest.

"The _manners_ on sparklets these days," Ratchet said, grumbling the words. "Honestly. Luxury items that talk back."

"I'm rather charmed myself," Orion said. He flashed Updraft another smiled, and she returned it. "Data clerks don't often get to meet them."

"You're mid-caste?" Updraft asked. Another rude question, but she and Thundercracker had gone over this. The three tiers, and the great divide between the highest one and the lesser two. Apparently not an impossible gulf to cross, if Orion Pax had been admitted entry to this gala.

"I am," Orion said, before Ratchet could open his mouth. "In Iacon there are opportunities to mingle between castes. Not many, but here I am."

Updraft supposed she had met mid-caste mechs before. Those working in the shopping centre, like the decal shop…she had even met low-caste mechs, during her adventure to Lower Vos. She made a mental note to ask what caste Dreadwing and Skyquake were from. Specifically, there, because what did Kaon need Seekers for?

Ratchet was still regarding her coolly, like there was something about her he wanted to place. "You had best be getting back to your parents, too," he said.

Updraft glanced around, catching sight of Starscream's silver wings. "My carrier won't miss me," she said, pointing. "That's him there."

Ratchet's eyebrows threatened to fly right off his forehead. "For Primus's—the Air Commander is your carrier?" At Updraft's nod, he sighed, tired and heavy. "Well, you must have gotten all that _charm_ from your sire. Count yourself lucky." He tilted his head, just slightly. "And—yes, I'm seeing it now. The parent sparks tend to influence the faceplate. Lucky you, since looks are the only thing he's got."

"Ratchet!" Orion said sharply. Updraft smiled, and she caught a glitter of amusement in Ratchet's optics. The first one she had seen so far, and therefore a success.

"It really is getting late," Ratchet said. "You ought to remind him you're alive and well before he notices."

This was true enough—though it was more to keep Thundercracker off her back than anything. Updraft flashed them her most dazzling, Skywarp-taught grin, and inclined her head politely.

"It was nice meeting you," she said. She turned to Orion. "There are more silica crunches on the other table. Try the copper ones." He had been eyeing Smokescreen's emptied plate with interest, and hadn't Updraft been taught to be polite? She swept her hand across the table as she left, taking the biggest handful of sweetsticks she could hold. Then she ducked under the table, towards the crowd.

Orion's laughter followed her, and she heard Ratchet's tired sigh. What a grumpy old mech. "There should be a law against Starscream reproducing," he was saying to Orion. "They've got no chance."

Updraft scowled, but that would do her no good. He was…probably right, but here she was, and he had been improving. As much as she could expect Starscream to improve, anyway. One sweetstick sticking out of her mouth, she weaved through the crowd's legs. Smokescreen was chatting animatedly with a mech who looked just like him, and the music had picked up. A few people were dancing (a step up from stumbling on tabletops like she'd seen), and she looked over shoulders, trying to find a familiar pair of wings again.

She could get a better look at some of the guests, especially Nominus's entourage. Some senators she could pick out, from the news—there was Halogen, and maybe that was Shockwave (but maybe not, because that colour was wrong). Updraft could tell the Iaconians easily, from the gaudy colours and decorations they wore. Next to them her Seekers looked sleek and fashionable, though the other colours were quite lovely.

It did make them harder to find. Updraft wasn't looking ahead of her as she moved, distracted by a pair of glaring orange doorwings when she walked into something big.

"Ouch!"

The _clang_ she made was even louder when she realized those around her had gone silent. Swallowing the last of her sweetstick, Updraft looked up into the blue optics of Nominus Prime.

He was as gaudy as the rest of Iacon. Built much bigger than most of the mechs, but maybe that was what Primes were. Big, and imposing, to keep everyone else in line. His face was calm, but his optics were cool and unreadable. Updraft disliked that from experience, and she was about to step into the crowd when two hands grabbed her shoulders.

"Updraft!" Starscream said sharply. He pulled her back, and straightened her up with a sharp motion. His claws dug into her paint. "Where is—never mind. What do you say to our Prime?"

Updraft thought about Starscream watching news reports at home, and the choice words he had had about Nominus. Ones Thundercracker would have covered her audials over, had he heard. At this moment, Starscream's gaze was lowered, his wings dipped in deference. This was not the Starscream who referred to the government as "a waste of his fragging time."

Updraft knew better. She bowed too, careful not to meet his gaze again. Nominus had not reacted, but the small circle around them was murmuring. The party went on.

"It's very nice to meet you, sir," she said. Starscream stiffened: wrong answer. "I'm very sorry about walking into you. I wasn't careful."

Starscream's fingers on her shoulder relaxed. The assembled bots waited on their Prime.

Updraft looked up after a long moment. Nominus Prime was smiling. She heard the assembled group's collective sigh of relief, but found herself unmoved. That smile did not come close to his optics. She stepped back shyly, and she could feel Starscream's sly, false smile on her too.

"You are the talk of Vos, little one," Nominus said. Updraft opened her mouth, to say _how would you know,_ and he chuckled. "Senators come here, and they gossip. Are you enjoying the party?"

Updraft gave him the best smile she could manage. "Yes, sir! The candy's delicious."

Nominus chuckled again, and his entourage quickly followed suit. Starscream's smile was like a bad taste in her mouth, but Updraft kept herself charming.

"The rumours say you're quite a troublemaker, too," Nominus said. His circle had relaxed, talking and laughing quietly among themselves, but the Prime's cold optics remained on her. "Keep it in check. And happy new year. Starscream-"

"Sir!" Starscream said, straightening up. His wings sprung to attention, and Updraft felt her spark shift in discomfort.

Nominus must have been in a good mood, because he gave his hand a light wave. "-Thank you for coming. Now, Crosscut. In regards to your new play..."

Updraft knew the look of a mech who had forgotten her. Satisfied with her performance, she made for the crowd, content with facing consequences later. Starscream's grip tightened on her back, and she squeaked.

"You dented my finish!" she said.

"Your finish?" Starscream said, his whisper furious. "You'll be worried about more than your finish when I'm done with you!"

He wouldn't do anything here, not beyond the dents in her back, but Updraft shivered at the prospect of later. She would have to stay close to someone else until he gave up on her. Starscream straightened up, before anyone could formulate more gossip.

"Stay close," Starscream growled, and Updraft slumped. Seeking out Starscream had been a mistake, because the fun would end here. Worse, her fuel tanks were starting to protest the volume of sweets she'd just eaten. She swallowed down her discomfort, and tried to look proper.

The rest of the party was not nearly as exciting, and the whole time her tanks churned. Updraft stuck close to Starscream's side and tried to guess the alt modes of guests. There were a number of other Seekers in attendance, though most weren't visibly Vosian. None were as handsome as her Seekers, and she was entirely used to jets. Instead she studied wheels, and tank treads, thinking about the unpleasantness of rolling on that material. The mech Skywarp had been chatting with, Blitzwing, baffled her. Wings, and treads, and mounted artillery. She would have to ask about him.

"Primus, is it ever past your bedtime." At some point, Updraft felt hands lifting her. Skywarp was grinning, and overcharged, but she still leaned into his touch. "Nominus left," she heard him telling Starscream, already dimming her optics. "TC's done, and I'm _bored._ "

Starscream gave them a cursory glance, but he had been flirting with a pretty speedster, who was watching them expectantly. He waved his hand. "Goodnight, then. Take her with you."

Updraft relaxed, and let Skywarp carry her out. He was humming a popular tune, and shifted her more comfortably against his shoulder.

"Your carrier's got weird taste," Skywarp said in the elevator. "He'll flirt with more than just wings. Maybe your sire was in there, who knows?"

Thundercracker must have been elsewhere, because he didn't scold Skywarp. Updraft, optics offline, drifted off in Skywarp's arms.

* * *

Skywarp woke to the sound of tanks purging.

He almost rolled over, to press his nose back into Thundercracker's neck and sleep the morning away...but that wasn't Starscream. He was very familiar with the sound of Starscream's purging (he'd patted his back through a nasty hangover enough times), and it was enough to make him sit up. He groaned—headache. Of course.

He was swallowing pain tablets when he came upon Updraft in the washrack. He winced. "Ouch."

That was an impressive amount of half-digested, colourful energon in the grate, and the poor kid was still shuddering on her hands and knees. It took him a second to register that Dreadwing was already there, his massive hand on Updraft's back. He regarded Skywarp coolly.

"She not feeling well?" Skywarp asked. His own tanks churned—self-repair disorder might have reared its ugly helm again. Maybe he should be waking up the others, to charter a shuttle to the hospital.

Dreadwing frowned, as if Skywarp were an unwanted guest. "Obviously. If you need to purge, I suggest going elsewhere."

Skywarp shook his head. He was intimately familiar with the difference between "annoyingly hungover" and "TC, get me a basin _right now."_ He had been good last night. Really!

Below them, Updraft made a pained sound. "I'm never eating spiced energon again. Or sweetsticks. Or anything. Ever."

Skywarp had to clamp down on a grin. That explained her sticky face the night before. Updraft had been recharging before he even tucked her in, after her night out with high society. Dreadwing was stone-faced, and Skywarp's face fell.

"You will live," he said solemnly, like Updraft had had her spark chamber knocked around. He looked at the puddle she had produced, and pursed his lips. "Hm. Colourful stuff."

The bodyguard seemed to have a handle on things. Satisfied, Skywarp left him to it. Skyquake held up a hand in greeting from the door, and Skywarp tossed him a bag of rust sticks. Things were normal again.

He stuck up for Updraft when Thundercracker gave her an audialfull ("that stuff they put out is _good!"_ ) and weaseled out of joining Starscream at Senate. Updraft was settled in the main room with a thermoblanket and low-grade, and instead of Skywarp, the Kaonians joined the others in the land of unbearable politics. Skywarp had never been so happy about the new entourage.

"They gonna let you in?" Skywarp called from the couch. He was challenging himself today— _Luna-1 Combat 3_ was significantly harder to play upside-down. It doubled as entertaining Updraft, who had giggled madly at his feet in the air.

Skyquake paused in the door. "Access passes," he said. "Starscream wants muscle."

There were things happening these days in Iacon. Bomb threats, intrigue...exciting stuff, even if nothing would really come of it. It didn't surprise him that Starscream would want protection, sitting in on a planet-wide Senate meeting.

Updraft was quiet for some time after they left. Finally she shifted, optics bright. She'd rapidly recovered after her initial purge, and Skywarp suspected she was playing up some of her suffering. "I had fun last night," she said. "I bet Dreadwing and Skyquake would like it, if we brought them."

Skywarp grinned. "Oh, they can't get in," Skywarp said. "Their caste level's not high enough without special permission—which we won't bother getting."

"I met an archivist last night," Updraft said. "He said he was mid-caste, but he got in."

Skywarp raised a brow, still concentrating on blowing up organics. "Mid-caste? He must have some real important friends." Or he'd caught the optic of someone important. Not that that was appropriate to discuss, and he was relieved when Updraft didn't press it.

"How do you know if someone is mid-caste?" Updraft asked. She was leaning over his legs now, to look over at his game progress. "I couldn't tell just by looking."

"He was probably all polished up for the function," Skywarp said. "Don't worry about it, kid. They're not worth your time."

Updraft frowned. Orion Pax had been clever, and kind, and even with wheels she had seen no reason not to be nice. "He was nice, though."

"Oh, they can be nice," Skywarp said. "Like Blitzwing—well, never mind, Blitz isn't nice, but he's fun to drink with. Doesn't make him equal with us. You," he said, tapping one foot against the wall, "are royalty, pretty much. Starscream is real important."

Updraft thought about the bots in the darkness of Lower Vos, rough and dirty in a way she couldn't bear. She guessed you could be kind _and_ dirty...but she had no desire to revisit the lower levels and find out. Orion Pax had been neither dirty nor unkind, or any different from the less gaudy Iaconians.

"It must be hard to be a lower-caste sparklet," she said finally. Skywarp laughed out loud, and Updraft was flustered enough to clamp her mouth shut.

"Oh, kid!" he said, rolling over into a more natural position. "Lower-caste sparklets just...aren't. They're not allowed to ignite them. Don't worry about it." He reached out to rub her helm, though for once Updraft couldn't muster up the affection back. "You're funny."

Updraft opened her mouth to ask _why,_ but stopped herself in time. Skywarp was not the one for a proper answer to such a question.

The next couple of weeks passed without incident. Starscream was too busy to remember to bother her about the gala, and she spent much of her time wondering if he'd show up at all that night. Updraft read about the tiered castes, when alone with her books—someone was always with her, at least posted at the door, but Starscream almost never appeated. He always had at least one of his trine with him, if not both, and attended every party. It left Updraft behind on her lessons, but with plenty of time to read up on Cybertron, and their people.

It hadn't been that long ago, when she had been dirty and tired and unwilling to leaf through Starscream's datapads. Updraft felt much older than she had then, studying the three tiers, and the sub-castes that formed them. She found herself, and her Seekers, near the top: _elite fliers,_ a warrior class meant to defend. There were other types of Seekers, lower than theirs, but she felt unwilling to ask Dreadwing where they hailed from. She found the medical caste near the bottom of that first tier, and _data clerk_ in the middle of the middle. Orion Pax had seemed well-fueled and healthy. Tidy. What did it mean to be low-caste, besides dirt and smog? (And unsettling jobs that one's carrier sent your bodyguards on.)

And why didn't they get to ignite little sparks?

She would have tried asking Thundercracker, but he was Starscream's favourite attendant for times like this. Unfailingly polite, and quiet, and therefore away often. Mostly Updraft saw him in recharge, peeking into the berthrooms before anyone else woke up. Thundercracker managed to look solemn even in sleep, with Skywarp draped over him and a sliver of sun on his optics.

She could feel the difference on New Year's Eve. Outside, Iacon buzzed with activity, stalls and tables already set up and more bots than usual milling on the ground. More lanterns had appeared overnight, and Updraft watched Skywarp fly from one spire back to theirs, expertly dodging the strings that now crossed between balconies.

"Be careful!" Thundercracker barked. He was examining his finish, deciding whether to wax again before they left. "I don't want you spending the holidays dead!"

Skywarp teleported back inside with a _crack,_ from halfway back to the balcony. Updraft shrieked in delight as he appeared beside her. Thundercracker threw his head back in disgust.

"Don't worry," Skywap said to Updraft, conspiratorial. "He'll be happy tonight. New Year's cheer is contagious."

"How about that," Skyquake said. He was filling a cube of low-grade at the tap, the setting low. (Updraft noticed, because she always put it on too high and spilled a bit.) "I thought Thundercracker was immune to that emotion."

Updraft wondered what Thundercracker would say if she told him he looked _just_ like Starscream in that moment. At least, close enough.

She was in a good mood. Her finish shone, and Thundercracker had touched up her paint for the evening. She had asked if he could change her whole colour "just for tonight!" but had gotten a firm no. That was another thing to wait till upgrade.

"Are you idiots ready?" Starscream called from his room. He had waxed on, and off, and on again twice already. Updraft wondered if anything was left on his plating at all. "Thundercracker! I need my glyphs!"

"I dunno, Starscream," Skywarp called, turning from Updraft's last once-over. Thundercracker sighed, and disappeared down the hall. "Are you done using every product on Cybertron? Will you ever be?"

Skyquake grinned. "I don't think he's caught the cheer either."

Dreadwing was already waiting downstairs, and Updraft had been delighted to see him and Skyquake polished bright. Starscream had not "wanted muscle" as it turned out—apparently New Year's was a public celebration. Updraft thought of their "entourage," and compared it to Nominus's. Theirs looked considerably sillier.

"Time to go!" Skywarp said cheerfully. Starscream and Thundercracker had reappeared, and Starscream strutted towards the door. He _did_ look handsome, as he had before the gala. Would Updraft get to be that beautiful one day?

"I'll keep an optic on you all," Skyquake muttered as he passed. He sounded particularly entertained about it. "Go on."

Skywarp shrugged, and reached for Updraft to help her down from the stool. She took one last look at the lanterns outside, but she was about to see plenty more.

New Year's Eve was another kind of party. Instead of the drunken debauchery of a Vosian house bash, or the stately galas of the past few weeks. The banquet hall of a few weeks ago was full, but the guests spilled into the street, carts and tables lining the courtyards.

Updraft held tight to Skywarp's hand and stared. There were more lanterns than ever, and they reflected off their plating, making the world and the revelers a rainbow of bright colours. Some held a lantern in their hands, their smiles reflecting red or yellow or green. The tables and carts were covered in candies and engex, and as they passed Skywarp grabbed three cubes, handing them out to his trine. Most incredible for Updraft was that under these beautiful lights the mood was bright, and cheerful, and _catching_. People called out greetings to each other, and a bump against someone outside their caste was met with a smile rather than scorn.

Someone called out, "Happy new year!" A green roller, showing her gap teeth as she grinned out at them. Updraft wondered if she was dreaming when Thundercracker smiled back,and wished her the same as they passed. Skywarp was grinning wide, and in a rare public gesture had his arm linked through Thundercracker's, pressed close against him. Even Starscream's wings were held at the middle, relaxed despite his earlier mood. If Updraft turned and craned her neck, she could see Dreadwing and Skyquake strolling with cubes in their hands, looking solemn and speaking in low voices. Their wings relaxed too, and when they caught her staring she earned herself two smiles. Skyquake shuttered one optic in a wink, before turning towards a stall.

"This is happening all over Cybertron," Thundercracker said. Everything had to be a lesson. "Iacon's celebration is the biggest, but even the lowest castes put out lanterns and celebrate."

"Even Vos?" Updraft said. A stall bursting with coloured lights slowed her steps, but Skywarp pulled her along. "I've never seen them."

"The strings are a danger to the fliers," Thundercracker said. "And the lights can interfere with our path. But bots put one or two out." He turned to her, and Updraft reveled in how happy he seemed. "You're too young to remember your first few new years, probably."

"She was sparked around this time," Starscream said suddenly. When they all turned to him, he stiffened up, optics flickering in the way of a flustered mech. "What? You can't control their extraction date."

"It's been ages since we hit this party," Skywarp said. "Updraft, you're gonna love their big finale."

"Happy New Year!" Updraft called out to some big mechs. They all smiled wide and waved, and the others hustled her along only a little bit quickly. Lower-caste, working mechs, whom her guardians would have scolded her for speaking to otherwise.

Skywarp handed her a sweetstick, and she munched as they kept walking. When Starscream met someone he knew and exclaimed over them (less fake than usual), Updraft stuck close. Her hand didn't leave Skywarp's, though she already ached to explore. Being good was such _hard work_. The courtyard and the surrounding streets were full to bursting, and others waved from balconies as they hung out yet more lanterns.

"Is Nominus here?" Updraft asked. His massive form was hard to miss, even among the crush of cheerful bots.

"Oh, somewhere," Thundercracker replied. "There are a few ceremonies the Prime does to ring in the new year. You'll see him on the holoscreens when it gets closer to time."

Updraft's chronometer said she had awhile yet before then. Longing, she turned to the tables full of treats. It would be worth getting sick again, if she could try those hard candies on a stick…unfortunatel, this time Skywarp was being watched, to ensure he watched _her._

"Ha-appy new year!"

Her free hand was grabbed by one her size, and she was pulled backward by a familiar white blur. Smokescreen's optics blazed excitedly at her. Updraft laughed in delight—she had wondered if they would find each other in this.

"Hey!" Skywarp said, turning around. Thundercracker stepped away neatly at that moment, towards an attractive tangle of lanterns. "It might be the holidays, but watch where you're going!"

Updraft finally wiggled out of his grasp, taking Smokescreen's other hand. He was as prim and polished as she was, his chevron repainted and his white paint spotless. What caught her optics were the lanterns strapped to his back, glowing blue and red. He was staring up at Skywarp, and Updraft quickly stepped between them.

"It's okay!" she said. "This is my friend, Smokescreen."

"Where did _you_ go and make a friend?" Starscream asked from behind her. Their optics burned on her, and she could just picture Skyquake's knowing grin.

"The party." Updraft didn't turn around, smiling wide at Smokescreen instead. "Happy new year!"

"Uh." Smokescreen looked from Starscream, to Skywarp, to Thundercracker, then turned to confirm that, yes, the Seekers from Updraft's apartment were there too. "Yeah," he said. "We played together at the party."

"I remember him," Thundercracker said, optics narrowed. "You two ate all that candy. And Updraft got got sick."

"Relax, TC," Skywarp said. Now that he had gotten a good look, he had decided Smokescreen was harmless. "I bet it's good to meet little bots her age. Like a cohort thing."

"Your parents, Smokescreen," Starscream said. He drew out the name slowly. "Their function?"

Smokescreen's optics got very bright. Thundercracker stiffened, and Updraft bet that that question was rude. To his credit, Smokescreen didn't shiver. "My sire's an architect. My carrier's a racer. Air Commander, sir." He tilted his head. "You _are_ the Air Commander, right?"

"I am—and I am going to bet shanix your line's never been in the air," Starscream said scornfully. "Come along, Updraft. Walk here by me."

"Can't I talk to Smokescreen for awhile?" Updraft said. She slumped, and prepared to whine. If Starscream was in danger of being embarrassed, it was often possible to make him give up. "Please? It's new year's!"

"Let her, boss," Skywarp said. He patted Updraft's shoulder, and she straightened up. "Neither of them have alt modes yet. Function doesn't matter."

"And you'll monitor this?" Starscream said suspiciously. "I need to meet Senators."

Skywarp nodded furiously. "Yeah! Yes, I'm great at watching her!"

Updraft dared a look at Dreadwing and Skyquake. She turned away just as quickly, lest she lose her nerve. She made her optics as bright and sweet as she could manage. "I'll be good! I'll stay close!"

Surrounded by mechs, food and partying, Starscream tensed. He was not in a position to refuse her, and he sighed, to show Updraft just how much this hurts him. "You won't always be so lucky, Updraft," he said finally. "Vos is not like the rest of Cybertron."

Skywarp vented out a sigh as Starscream stalked off. Thundercracker gave them a long look and followed, pushing towards a table stacked with sweetsticks. "Primus, he's a handful." He turned to Updraft, and winked one bright optic at her. "A special treat for new year's, right? Things always get a little silly when the year rolls over."

As soon as he was turned away (of course he'd turned away), inspecting a cart of trinkets, Smokescreen pulled her aside. "I brought you a new year's present," he said, reaching behind him for the lanterns. He thrust the red one towards her. "These are the smallest ones we had. I thought your carrier wouldn't get mad if it was your colour."

Smokescreen had caught on fast. Updraft took the lantern like it would shatter on contact. She knew the light danced on her face, and it glowed red as a spark in her hands.

"It's beautiful," she said, venting out the words. "I don't have anything for you, though."

Smokescreen grinned at her. "It's okay. Come play with me and we'll call it even."

Updraft frowned. She clutched her lantern closer, and glanced at Skywarp. He was now haggling with the stall owner, but it was good-natured as he inspected what he liked. "I have to stay close," she said.

Smokescreen glanced up, then back at her. His optics glittered with mischief, and he held up his own lantern. "We won't go too far," he said. "C'mon, I really wanted to show you something. It's the best place to watch the fireworks."

Updraft's optics grew very round. "Fireworks?" She had seen those on the holoscreen, but never in person. "Is that what they do for the new year?"

Smokescreen nodded eagerly. "They're _so_ cool. Wanna see where I watch them from?"

Updraft gave Skywarp another glance. To her right, Dreadwing was looking on as Skyquake sampled candy. They all seemed distracted, and Starscream and Thundercracker were nowhere in sight. It was now or never.

She sighed, and held out her hand. Smokescreen's optics lit up, and he pulled her forward as he bolted.

Weaving through the revelers, passing under beautiful lights and through wonderful music, she was giggling in seconds. The thrill of causing just a little trouble—and having a co-conspirator—was so easy to get caught up in, even as she heard Skywarp's shout of "Updraft!" over the crowd.

They stopped on a small, equally crowded street past the Spires. In the distance, one of the holoform screens flickered on to reveal Nominus and his entourage. Smokescreen pulled her into an alleyway (nothing like the ones in Lower Vos—this one was wide and neat) and pointed to a ladder.

"My friends and I come here after school," Smokescreen said, reaching for the first rung. "Well, we did. I've been stuck at home for ages."

Updraft scampered up after him, and when she had crawled onto the roof she saw why. They weren't exactly on the highest point in Iacon, but this rooftop had a clear view of the party, and one of the bigger holoscreens. They were flanked by towering Iacon buildings, covered top to bottom in lantern strings. Their own roof was dark, and out of the way enough that two sparklets would not be noticed.

Smokescreen pointed to the clear space in the sky. "Right there," he said. "You'll see them perfectly."

"Don't your friends know about this spot?" Updraft asked, glancing back at their ladder.

"Oh, they're with their parents. People are all nervous because of those bomb threats." Smokescreen shrugged, dropping down. "Nothing ever comes of them, though.

Updraft didn't ask him about why people would be so nervous. She pushed down the pang of guilt from ditching Skywarp as she settled in, holding her lantern tightly. Red, like her optics and spark. Like the optics of people that mattered to her. Smokescreen had made a good choice.

Smokescreen handed her a small bag, and Updraft popped a silica crunch into her mouth. Nominus was doing something on the screen, at a massive monument and flanked by several handsome mechs. Someone was chanting in Primal Vernacular, a language she didn't understand. She had asked, and Thundercracker had left her the alphabet and said it was the best he had.

"Ugh," Smokescreen said, his mouth full of candy. "Old Cybertronian is my _least_ favourite class." Updraft imagined that she would like it, if she had the opportunity. She paid more attention to the shifting mass of bots below them, their laughter and music wafting up to her. Occasionally she glanced up at the skies instead, wondering if a familiar jet would zoom over the crowd, to snatch her back up and give her the scolding of a lifetime

Updraft sucked on a sweetstick, savouring it. Smokescreen popped candy after candy into his mouth, and Updraft wondered if he had thrown up after the party, too. Maybe it was an SRD thing. Hopefully not—it would be a frustrating experience.

"Aren't your parents looking for you?" Updraft asked finally. She saw no sign of familiar wings down below, so they hadn't yet come this way. Before Skywarp remembered to use it, she shut off her comm. She had never seen Smokescreen's carrier and sire, but Smokescreen seemed unconcerned. Relaxed, even, as he grinned at her.

"Oh, probably," he said. "They'll flip their lids that I'm gone. After the fireworks I'll just say I got lost."

That wouldn't work for Updraft, and the unease settled in her spark. Before she could dwell on it too much, Smokescreen had jumped up beside her, dropping his bag of sweets. "Updraft! Quick, it's about to start!"

Updraft scrambled to her feet. Below them, the whole street had paused, the shifting mass turned towards the biggest holoscreen. Nominus had stepped back from whatever he was doing, and on screen it seemed that even he was turned towards the sky. A countdown had appeared on the screen, settled in the corner, and Updraft checked her chronometer. It was almost time.

Smokescreen reached over and clicked something on, below Updraft's lantern. It seemed to glow brighter, and Updraft felt it _pull_ against her hands.

"Let it go," he urged her. "Watch."

He demonstrated, and the little blue lantern began to float above their heads. Updraft realized that it was not the only one—colours of all kinds joined it, hovering gently towards the space Smokescreen had pointed out. Updraft let hers slipped from her fingers, too, and pretended she could fly alongside it. See those fireworks up close.

"I thought you said there'd be fireworks," Updraft said softly. Her optics were glued to the floating lights.

"Keep watching," Smokescreen said. She wasn't looking his way, but Updraft could feel his anticipating grin.

They stood close together, and watched as the freed lanterns wafted past the strung ones. Updraft didn't feel bad any more about escaping the others. This would be beautiful, and Smokescreen had worked hard to get her here. It would be worth it.

The flash of white, white light, and the acrid smell of smoke, almost didn't register. Then she was thrown back in a rushing roar, and couldn't hear her own scream.


	6. Chapter 6

_Happy Easter! A new chapter, just in time for the weekend and for me to start focusing on finals. This is a pretty long one-hope you guys enjoy!_

* * *

Skyquake had been getting too comfortable.

There were often the missions out, of course. Their boss would send him and Dreadwing to shake someone down, for information or whatever _favour_ Starscream might be owed. It was usually as simple as that, but a few times they had had to get some poor slagger out of the way. (Dreadwing hated these, and usually Skyquake would do the dirty work. Their honour systems had never quite matched up, after all.)

How much further Starscream expected to go wasn't his business, but from Skyquake's place it seemed he had plenty without needing dirty work to top it.

It was the time at home that had gotten too good. Their new apartment in Vos was dingy, but it was just a place to recharge—they spent nearly all their time either on the job or with Updraft. Skyquake considered _that_ part of the gig easy money. Be nice to the kid, keep Dreadwing happy. Humour his brother, and step in for the little one if things got bad again.

Forcing himself upright, atop the lantern stall he'd smashed, it was clear the bubble had burst.

He pulled himself to his feet with a grunt of effort. Wings and t-cog in place. Chronometer knocked out and comm fizzling. He'd have to rely on his senses, but the dust was already a distracting itch in his vents. Smoke was rising from small fires. Dreadwing would be sparkbroken if Updraft got caught in one.

Their spark link was untouched, so Skyquake didn't worry. If the kid was dead, he'd figure out something comfort for his brother. Dreadwing took failure hard, after all.

(And he wasn't sparkless. If something happened to Updraft out here, than he hoped Starscream picked them for the resulting revenge job.)

People were starting to shout, and cry, but maybe that was his audials resetting after the shock. He shoved past wealthy mechs, injured or not, single-minded in finding someone familiar. Iacon had been sucked of its colour in the explosion. The lights of the Spires had gone out, and it was only wide, frightened optics on passersby that assured Skyquake anyone was still alive.

The further he went, the more the crowd shifted—the smoke cleared, too, so he guessed he was moving away from the epicentre. The cries and screams grew louder, and when a smaller, distant explosion met his audials the panic gripped them. Skyquake finally took to the air. He zipped neatly around some others who had had the same idea, well above the gathering dust.

He had been told that Starscream had training for such tragedies, that his fleet would step in to help the Guard in case of emergency…but Skyquake had yet to see any sleek Vosian jets. Perhaps everyone's commlink had been damaged. Perhaps Starscream was injured, unable to follow his own orders.

What direction had Updraft run in? Bratty little slagger. She was entertaining, and charming, certainly, but her "uncles" spoiled her where Starscream neglected. There was no discipline. Hence her little escape, just before the display began and hell broke loose.

Familiar, faint crying below made his spark rush with relief. Maybe Dreadwing could feel it as Skyquake touched down, shoving past several smaller mechs towards the sound.

"Updraft?" he called. He hoped he sounded soothing. "Little one, come out. It will be alright."

He almost tripped over her in the dust. That…had been easier than expected. Easier, anyway, until he saw the wall that had pinned Updraft in, a beam holding it up just so above her body. Her optics were wide and red in the dark and she shivered, shrinking back.

"I'm stuck!" she wailed. "Where's Smokescreen?"

Skyquake had already dropped to his knees, partway through pulling the debris off her frame. It was fortunate that he had found her, and not one of those skinny Vosians. They would have crumpled under the weight of this, and never gotten her out.

"Are you hurt?" he asked her, but she was already crying. The sobs were punctuated by coughs, which spurred him on to work faster. Foolish, sick little thing, running off by herself.

A figure ran headlong into his side, and brought with him heat on Skyquake's back. Skyquake caught Smokescreen in one arm, and looked him over for a split second. This certainly was the little mech whom Updraft had been so taken with—taken enough, at least, for her to leave all-time favourite Skywarp and rush through a madding crowd.

Skyquake let him go just as quickly. No visible injuries, though he was filthy and scuffed, shivering with hiccuped sobs. His optics darted from Updraft to the growing fire, but in that same instant Skyquake was pulling Updraft free and setting her on her feet.

"Are you hurt?" he asked again. Updraft shook her head, gripping Skyquake's wrist like a tiny vice. A scrape ran up one leg where the beam had caught her, coolant tracts running from her optics through the dirt on her face.

"Am I in trouble?" she asked, choking back a sniffle. Beside her, Smokescreen pulled his arms around himself and shivered. His optics were, wisely, on the flames.

Skyquake sighed. "No. Hold on, children."

In one movement, he had a sparklet in each arm, and had lifted off with a roar of his thrusters. Better to get away from that fire before he had to add _storm_ to the word. The sparklets screamed in unison, and Skyquake gritted his teeth. Flying in root mode did not come recommended. But he and Dreadwing had lived in Kaon, and they had seen factory fires out of control, roaring through whole blocks in minutes. He wouldn't be sticking around to find a more comfortable way out.

He landed only when the air was clearer. The fuzz in his commlink began to resemble something usable, though his chronometer was still shot. Here, Iacon bustled again, albeit with first responders and frightened, chattering bots. Several seemed to have come from the same affected streets, all filthy and leaking energon. When he took a step, Updraft wobbled, and Skyquake simply picked her up and set her against his hip. The other one's wrist stayed in his grasp, and Skyquake pulled him along beside them.

"I'm gonna…" Updraft's voice was hoarse, but not rasping. Perhaps her vents were undamaged. "I'm gonna bet that that's _not_ what usually happens on New Year's."

"No!" Smokescreen cried, jogging after Skyquake. "No, they turn into fireworks! Mister, I want my carrier!"

"Look for them, then," Skyquake said. He barely masked his impatience. " _Quietly._ "

For a looming, filthy mech lugging two sparklets, he was going remarkably unnoticed. He and Dreadwing had studied this city on their way to it (Starscream had been likely to send them out while they were here—dirty work followed their Senate like acid rain hit the wastes) and a high-caste hospital was somewhere this way. Ark-1 Memorial, or some other pointless name. A frightened parent would reasonably search there, and the children could be looked over by a professional.

There, now. Dreadwing could no longer say he was _phoning it in_ whenever they entered Updraft's world. He, too, had just saved her spark. And now they would be connected.

The hospital was a flurry of messy, roaring activity. It was significantly more like the Kaonian ER, in all its grime and anxiety, than the trim polish of the Vosian hospital. Skyquake had to tighten his grip on the sparklets to make sure the panicked mob didn't knock them away. Somehow he doubted he'd have the same good luck twice, finding them

Outside, the roar of Pyrobot sirens went by. Updraft quaked against his shoulder.

An orderly finally stopped them, just as Skyquake had found a corner to wait it out in. She was about a third his size, with yellow optics that blazed.

"Injuries?" she asked sharply. In Skyquake's arms, Updraft shivered. Skyquake decided this medic was alright—no-nonsense, and looking at Skyquake's looming bulk without fear.

"Chronometer's shot," Skyquake said. "These two seem well, but an examination-"

"You can wait," she said, and Skyquake realized she had already run a scan on them. "Don't get in the way. And—hm. They're not yours."

It wasn't a question. Skyquake, at a glance, was from the caste of rougher fliers, not his charge's like. Updraft lifted her head and brightened her optics. "He's my bodyguard," she said. "It's okay."

The orderly pointed out a clock, looking pointedly at Skyquake, and was gone without another word. He let go of Smokescreen's wrist and the sparklet sighed, sliding down against the wall. Updraft pushed against his shoulder, but Skyquake didn't let her go.

"Can you reach anyone?" she asked. "My comm's fuzzy."

Skyquake shook his head. "I believe the explosion affected inter-bot radio. I only have yours." The others might well be out looking for them, or trapped. To reassure her, he sent a message: _They are trained soldiers. They will find you._

Updraft nodded, and said nothing more. She looked much smaller afraid, nothing like the lively, mischievous creature Skyquake had gotten used to. Smokescreen was sniffling, knees curled up to his chest, and Skyquake simply didn't know what to do about that. He decided, after a moment, to do nothing. The little mech would have to find his parents.

"What should we do?" Updraft asked finally. Skyquake looked around. Several bots had just come in sporting wounds Skyquake would have hesitated to inflict. The flurry of activity reached a roar, and Skyquake tucked Updraft against him. With his free arm, he pulled Smokescreen in against his leg.

"Sleep," he said.

* * *

After what must have been hours (her own chronometer was off-kilter, too), Updraft had not even managed to doze. The shouting of medics and frightened patients, the screams of people looking for loved ones…even if she hadn't been worrying sick, she wouldn't have managed a rest.

With her optics offlined, she heard Skyquake speaking quietly with Smokescreen. Smokescreen repeated a string of numbers, carefully memorized, and Updraft recognized them as a comm frequency. She hoped Smokescreen's parents weren't dead. Maybe Skyquake would find one on that frequency, and bring them here to get him.

She hoped _her_ family wasn't dead.

Skyquake sat up abruptly, _swore,_ and Updraft bit back a yelp. Just as quickly, he had sighed and sat back, Updraft quivering against his side.

"I thought I had a lock on Dreadwing's comm," Skyquake said. He sounded apologetic. "But…not quite. Go back to sleep."

"Is he dead?" Smokescreen asked. Updraft stiffened, but Skyquake didn't. He only shook his head.

"If Dreadwing was dead, I'd know it." He tapped his chestplate. "Split spark. We feel each other's life force."

"That's a cool name," Smokescreen murmured. "Dreadwing. Awesome."

Updraft would have had a _million_ questions about split sparks any other day. For now, she resolved to do as she was told. It was hard to sleep imagining Skywarp's wings pinned under wreckage, or Starscream's paint burned off, or any of them worse off than that. She wondered what would happen to her if they died. She had just read about the castes again yesterday, and about who could have sparklets without state permission—Dreadwing and Skyquake couldn't take her, if the others were gone. Maybe Smokescreen's parents would like her enough to adopt her, if they found them—but they didn't live in Vos. They didn't even _fly._ Maybe she'd go into a foundling home (there was a small one in Iacon, she'd seen it on the map) and they'd pick her function for her.

" _Updraft!"_

Her worries evaporated. She was jerked out of Skyquake's arms and pulled down, hard, to the floor. Thundercracker's optics were wild and bright, and he was as filthy as the rest of them. He looked ridiculous on the ground, the deep blue of his plating dulled and his wings twitching.

"You're squishing me!" Updraft gasped. "Ouch!"

She heard Skyquake leap up behind them, and the soft clang of Smokescreen pressing himself against the wall. Thundercracker didn't loosen his grip, tipping Updraft's chin and moving her helm around to look.

"Are you hurt?" he asked her, with an edge in his voice she'd never heard. "Any coughing? Why haven't they gotten you a room?"

Something sticky was warm against her knee, and when Updraft looked down she saw blood. _"You're_ hurt!" she said, voice high with fear. "I'm fine. Skyquake took care of me."

"So I see," Thundercracker said, finally standing on shaking feet, bringing her with him. He wasn't looking at her now, but at the wound in his side. "I'll need a patch, but it's clotted. Yeah. Nothing serious, Updraft."

Thundercracker was trying to sound like himself, but that edge in his voice was still there, and it made Updraft's tanks churn. When his wild optics turned onto Smokescreen, she fought the urge to jump down from his arms and protect him.

"Your parents probably aren't dead," Thundercracker said. If he had spoken to Updraft in that voice, she would have run for cover. Smokescreen, to his credit, stood firm. "It looks like the fatality count is low, though injuries will bring it up. Don't harass this girl again, grounder."

Smokescreen's face fell, and Updraft tried to wriggle out of Thundercracker's grasp.

"He's my friend!" she said, voice high. "It's not his fault! _I_ snuck off! TC, where are Skywarp and Starscream? And Dreadwing! They're split-spark, you know, I bet Skyquake's worried and—"

"Hush!" Skyquake said sharply, suddenly agitated. Smokescreen retreated, back against the wall, and Thundercracker simply tightened his grip.

"I'm going to check her in," he said, shifting Updraft's weight. "If you're not currently dying, keep waiting with that one."

Before Updraft could protest, Thundercracker had weaved into the crowd. Smokescreen's blue optics, bright like lanterns, followed her away until someone cut behind them, and she lost sight. Thundercracker's steps were brisk, a mech on a mission as he pushed towards the front desk.

It took some arguing for him to secure a room, and Updraft could tell he wasn't used to it taking so long. Caste won out in the end, and Updraft tried to shrink back from the gazes of bleeding, dirty mechs, still waiting for treatment as Thundercracker took her upstairs. She watched the nurse's back ahead of them, straight and red, and tried to focus.

"When will a doctor be with us?" he asked, setting Updraft on the berth.

The nurse was already feeling over Thundercracker's wound, setting a patch in place to cover it. "When they're not completely slammed," he said, pushing the new metal in place. It was ugly against his plating, where Thundercracker had polished so thoroughly that evening.

Updraft watched the nurse rush back out, the door closing hard behind him. Thundercracker made a low, angered sound where he stood, and she had never seen his wings dipped so low.

"I want…" She regretted opening her mouth, as soon as he was looking at her. "I want to go back down."

Thundercracker looked up. "What? No. No, you're not. Just…" He dropped onto the berth's edge, looking tired and small. "Just rest, okay? We don't need your SRD flaring up on top of…this. All this."

Updraft almost wished that they had stayed in Vos, for New Year's. She and Skywarp could have gotten red lanterns and put them out together. They could have gone onto the balcony and counted down together, and when it was after midnight they would look at the news, and see the explosion, and everyone would be so relieved they'd decided to stay.

But Smokescreen still would have been here, and Updraft would never have met him. Maybe he would have died with Skyquake. And maybe having a friend that she could really talk to, and just _play_ with, would have kept eating a big hole in her spark. She hadn't noticed the emptiness until she'd lost him again.

"Thundercracker?" she asked. Her voice was soft. He looked up, and seemed surprised—Updraft called him TC almost always, these days. "Do you know what happened to Starscream? And Skywarp?"

"Starscream's fine," Thundercracker said. His voice was like a sigh. "He's out there running patrols with some of the fleet, in case the attackers show up. He sent me out to get you." His optics dimmed, almost offlining. "I don't…we don't know where Skywarp is. He isn't answering his comm."

"Skyquake says the comms don't work, where it happened," Updraft said. It didn't make her spark feel any less tight. Thundercracker nodded, but it didn't seem much like he believed her.

"Don't worry," he said, not reassuring her in the least. "I'm sure he's out looking for you. As soon as he's in range, I'll…ah. Primus." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "What a way to start the year."

Updraft shifted herself over, until she was touching Thundercracker's arm. "I love Skywarp," she said quietly. "I hope he's okay."

"Me too," Thundercracker said, after a long moment. His arm came around and pulled her in. Updraft slumped.

"You love him too, right?" Updraft said, voice almost inaudible. "You really love him."

Thundercracker's wings went stiff. His grip tightened a fraction around her frame. "I do," he said finally. "I love him very much, and because of it I am going to give him hell for scaring me like this. Okay?"

"Okay," Updraft said. Thundercracker didn't answer her again, and the only sounds were the shouts outside and the sirens of Pyrobots.

An orderly interrupted their uneasy calm, opening the door too loudly. His feet clanged against the floor. "Are you Skywarp of the Vosian Heights's conjunx endura?" he asked. He fumbled over Skywarp's unwieldy full name, and Thundercracker sat up sharply.

"Is there news?" he asked. Updraft watched his hands reach out and twitch towards the orderly.

"You have to come with me," the orderly said. His voice stuttered, and so didn't Updraft's spark. "I'm afraid—it's very serious. The sparklet will be looked after, but you have medical rights over-"

"Where is he?!" Thundercracker snapped. He was already pushing past the orderly, and Updraft followed, jogging to keep up with his pace. His wings had gone much too straight, too stiff. Everything about him sang terror, and Updraft's spark pulsed with it. Was Skywarp dying? What had happened to him when the lanterns had gone out?

"I want to see him!" Updraft cried. She ran after Thundercracker, but was stopped short by a pair of strong, unfamiliar arms. They scooped her off the ground, and Updraft kicked at the mech's chestplate. "No! No! Put me down—"

"Stop that," the mech said sharply. Updraft realized with a jolt that she'd met him before. In Vos, he had taken her pulse, and given them medicine. He had defended her from Starscream as best he could. Doctor Pharma had been gentle then, but now his optics were hard.

Updraft tried to twist around and see. "I want to see Skywarp! You can't keep me away!"

"Yes, I can," Pharma said. "I'm taking you back to your room. There's enough to do here already without sparklets underfoot."

She kept kicking, and yelling, as he turned on his heel towards their room, but his grip was firm. Updraft had dissolved into sobs by the time he dropped her on the berth.

When Pharma tipped up her chin, she tried to look away, but his optics had softened. Blue, like much of Iacon's. Like Smokescreen's.

"If you stay here, and stay well, they won't have to worry about you." His voice was gentle pressure, like a hand on her back. "There's enough for the adults to worry about, but it will reassure your friend if he hears you're well."

"You'll let him know?" Updraft asked. She slid herself back from him, against the headboard.

Pharma's optics flickered. "I'm sure Thundercracker will. A nurse will be in later to check on you."

Updraft watched his optics become hard and focused again, and in a moment he was turning, back out the door. She'd gotten very familiar with the _click_ of a lock behind someone, and slumped. It would be a long day.

She put on the holoscreen, but the news became unbearable quickly. The scenes of the Spires' destruction graced every station, and she could see that the small fires were now roaring. She saw jets in the background of one shot, but not any she knew. None of the programs she liked were on, in light of the disaster. Updraft dozed off to the sound of casualty lists.

When she woke up, there were voices at the door and light pouring in, the soft sound of the newscaster still buzzing. Updraft grabbed a thermoblanket off the table and pretended to be in recharge.

"—Only 21 deaths," Starscream said. Updraft kept herself serenely still. "That will rise, of course, but _truly_ remarkable, considering."

Why did Starscream care about the deaths of strangers? Updraft felt his hand on her forehead and stayed put.

"A lot of trouble for one murder," Dreadwing said. Updraft's spark rushed with relief. That was all of them accounted for, then. "Senseless waste of life."

"The only way for such a movement to reach Nominus was this," Starscream said. He had stopped touching her just as quickly as he'd appeared. He sounded like he was by the window. "Fools. If you ask me, it was an inside job."

Updraft looked for Starscream's usual bite, waiting for him to lose his temper. All she could read was exhaustion _._ She wondered if he had had a wash yet, because Updraft certainly hadn't. The grime was quickly getting irritating, now that she'd remembered it. The third set of heavy footsteps, she guessed, must be Skyquake's. She hoped Smokescreen had found his parents.

"I believe it's an _assassination_ if the person killed was the Prime," Skyquake said. He dropped into a chair, one that squeaked when he settled his weight.

Starscream responded with a soft, annoyed sound. The channel changed. "Leave us," he said. "And see about that idiot Skywarp, would you? He must be out of surgery by now."

Skyquake's chair creaked again, and Updraft heard the words "—when I'd _just_ sat down" as he and Dreadwing filed back out. Her spark clenched. Alone with Starscream could mean being ignored, so she really could fall asleep. It could also mean feeling like the worst person in the world, as Starscream woke her and berated her for leaving, and nearly getting herself killed all over again.

Her tanks churned in dread when she felt his hand on her shoulder. "Wake up," he said. Updraft did so slowly. She made a show of onlining her optics and lifting her head, like she had been resting deeply.

She had been right—Starscream _was_ filthy, more black than silver, and she could see his and her bodyguards' tracks around the room. Her own head had left a layer of grime on the berth, and she winced in disgust. The leading edges of Starscream's wings oozed energon, paint scraped clear off his left side. His optics pulsed dark, exhausted. There was no anger or disgust—and that surprised her, because they were both disgusting.

"You little fool," he said. Updraft felt no sting. She was relieved to see him alive, and he seemed to feel the same for her. Not since she was very small, before her upgrade and sleeping against his chest, had she felt like that. (And she did remember, a little bit. It was the very first thing she remembered.)

Starscream reached up and tapped, right between her optics. Updraft shrank back on reflex, and her carrier raised a brow.

"I need to recharge there," Starscream said. "You're dirtying it up, and my vents are near caked with this slag." He stood back up, and motioned to a door. "We'll not waste time taking turns. Come."

Updraft stood up, and slid off the berth. The washrack was small, and utilitarian, but there was enough space for one Seeker and one sparklet to wash in silence. As her red plating re-appeared, Updraft couldn't help but shudder. She had been so dirty, down to her optics and the inside of her mouth…a year ago, Starscream would have put her out with Dreadwing and Skyquake.

A year ago, she would have been left alone in Vos, to get her own energon and jump up to reach the taps.

She was done before Starscream, only cuts and scrapes revealed by her wash. He went slower, wincing as he ran the cloth along his wings. Updraft could still read a few of last night's glyphs, carefully written by Thundercracker before they'd left that night. Most were smudged off, but Updraft made out "carrier of one" and something pleasant about clouds. It all seemed very flowery, uncharacteristically poetic, and Updraft wondered if Starscream had any idea what his trine had put on him. Maybe he didn't mind.

When they were through, Updraft felt better. The worry for Skywarp still clouded her systems, but she felt more like herself when she was clean. Starscream stood straighter, too, his biolights brighter. He pointed to a couch, wide enough to be her pull-out berth.

"Recharge," he ordered. "I've booked you an exam for tomorrow."

Updraft, reaching for her thermoblanket, paused midway. She steeled herself, and looked at Starscream.

"Can I see Skywarp tomorrow?" she asked him. Her voice barely wavered. "Is he okay?"

Starscream stiffened. For a split second, everything about him flashed fear, the kind that had consumed Thundercracker. Updraft wondered what Skywarp would think of _that._ Starscream sighed, as if answering her was a great trial on him.

"I haven't heard," he said. His expression was unreadable, as he looked down at her. "I've put in another request for his charts, but I may have to wait on Thundercracker. And, no, you can't see him yet." He pointed, again, at the couch. Slowly and sullenly, Updraft reached for her blanket and trudged over. She curled up facing away from him, and Starscream sighed.

"That idiot had _better_ live," he said. His voice was softer. "I'll have no right wing, and you'll be uncontrollable." He flopped backwards, onto the berth. "Goodnight, Updraft."

Updraft's tanks were clenched so hard they ached. She wanted to purge, but exhaustion finally won out. She slept.

* * *

Updraft made sure to be a nuisance in the morning, when the doctors came to see her. Starscream left her with Dreadwing, who was clearly unhappy with her kicking and twisting on the examination table. His firm hand on her chest, and the warning to "let the poor mechs do their work," was only enough to still her. She didn't cooperate, and her examiners moved her like she was a doll.

One was Pharma, and she would have tolerated him, but it was _Ratchet_ who made her scowl. Why was he allowed to touch her, anyway, with wheels on his frame and a good doctor already with her? She went limp under Dreadwing's hand when he followed Pharma in, and watched his optics flicker in recogntion—then irritation. She made sure to ignore him completely throughout the exam.

"Count yourself lucky," he grumbled, as he gave Updraft a final scan. "There are plenty of others worse off than you." Dreadwing's optics flickered in surprise as Ratchet turned from Updraft, to train the scanner on him. "You—I'll run a diagnostic in a moment. Some low readings."

Dreadwing huffed. "They're not paying you to look after me."

Ratchet had already turned away for more tools. "They're not paying me at all. I'm here to ensure survivors are cared for, and _this_ one is cleared to go." Updraft straightened up, as soon as Dreadwing's hand pulled back.

"Can I go see Skywarp, then?" she asked. Ratchet frowned.

"You asked when we came in," Pharma said. He, as Skywarp would say, had "checked out," already packing up for the next patient. "Sparklets are banned from ICU as much as they were ten minutes ago."

Updraft scowled. "You'd better hurry and fix him up, so I can go in!"

"Updraft." Dreadwing's voice was soft and warning.

Her scowl deepened, and Dreadwing's optics grew bright. Updraft finally slumped—it was pointless to argue with him, when he was being serious. He valued good behaviour, something Updraft had been unwilling to give.

Pharma left quietly, without so much as a look in Dreadwing's direction. There was something unsettling about how he met Ratchet's optics (disapproval? Updraft ought to know that well enough), but Ratchet continued his scans of Dreadwing's systems.

"Prescriptions cost shanix," Dreadwing said flatly. He didn't reach out for the script from Ratchet's hand.

"And rust infections reach the spark chamber," Ratchet said. He thrust out the chip. "The Senate is covering basic care resulting from the explosion. A gift to its people."

The edge in his voice unsettled Updraft. With the way Dreadwing stiffened, she guessed she was right to be nervous. (She also guessed it wouldn't be something worth explaining to her.) Dreadwing's wings twitched, but he finally took the chip. "Some gift."

"You're telling me," Ratchet said. He lowered his voice. "They're not covering non-vital surgeries, of course. There are going to be a lot of limps and pains in my clinic."

" _If you can take without shame,_ " Dreadwing said, in his own dialect. "Kaon saying. Don't repeat that, Updraft of the Vosian Heights."

"I won't, if—" Updraft began.

"—Yes, yes, if you can see your friend," Ratchet snapped. "You're a determined one. And you're both clear."

He all but stalked off, and Updraft tried to puzzle out his kindness to Dreadwing. Maybe he was like Thundercracker, with a warm spark stuck under bad moods. She turned, slowly, to her bodyguard. He sighed.

"I need to fill this, then," he said. "I'll get you a treat on the way."

Updraft brightened a little. She had only drank medical grade since Skyquake had taken her inside. Skywarp must have been sick of it, too, if he was really as sick as they said. Updraft pushed down the thought.

She sipped her sweetened cube while Dreadwing filled his prescription, and liked the looks on the staff's faces when they saw him. He was big and sharp-edged, and—apparently—frightening. No wonder he was a good bodyguard.

She noticed how the hospital had set aside large rooms for their patients. Row upon row of mechs sat in chairs, or lay on floors, waiting to be seen for their injuries. An orderly slammed a door in her face when he caught her staring, and Dreadwing pulled her along by one hand. She hadn't wanted to see all that much, anyway—the sounds the patients made really _were_ frightening, and the smell of spilled energon burned her nose.

It would be easier to sneak off here. In busy Iacon, sparklets were easier to come by, and few people looked twice at her. Today, the idea made her tanks churn, and she was careful to stick close to Dreadwing. His gaze was hawklike on her, so she didn't give him reason to strike. In the pharmacy proper another sparklet stared at her, held in the arms of their caretaker. Updraft looked away, scowling.

Sensing her patience waning, Dreadwing took Updraft to an upper level. She finished her drink as they looked out at the spires, and Updraft counted jets. One flew better than the others, with just a little more grace, and it only took her a moment to recognize Starscream in the movement. She had seen him go past their windows often enough. What was he doing out there?

Updraft watched people go by in silence. The skyline here was clear—the Spires, and the explosion, were to the north. At some point she'd dozed off, waking up in Dreadwing's arms as he walked quickly down the hall.

"Would you still like to see Skywarp?" he asked her, and Updraft sat up straight. Dreadwing's grip tightened, her feet kicking ineffectually at his chest in an effort to get down.

"Let's go!" she said, struggling in his grip. "Let's go, now!"

"We are," Dreadwing said. "Stop that. It's only for a little while."

He set her down, hand tightly in his, just before a sign that read _Intensive Care._ The unease that had settled in Updraft's spark flared, and seeing Thundercracker outside a door, his wings too stiff, wasn't calming in the least. She didn't have to pull—Dreadwing knew enough to let her go, and she rushed him. Thundercracker crouched, just in time to catch her.

"Oof. You're certainly not sick," he said, rocking on her impact. He had cleaned up since she last saw him—where was Thundercracker recharging? His optics were bright, a little overcharged, and Updraft wondered if he had been sleeping at all.

"Is Skywarp okay?" she asked, the words tumbling out. "Is he awake? Starscream said he might die, and-"

Updraft clamped her mouth shut at the way Thundercracker's expression shifted. He was silent for a second, optics flickering as he regarded Updraft. "He'll be okay, soon, but he's not awake yet. In a few more days. Updraft, do you know what CR chamber is?"

Updraft nodded slowly. One of their lessons, an offhand thing that had seemed so far away from her life. "Is Skywarp in one?"

She hated Thundercracker's wince. "He'll be okay," he said again, and it seemed like he was trying to convince himself more than her. "But he needs to stay in it for another couple of days. The nanites in the fluid help speed self-repair."

She couldn't help the urge to ask. "Why didn't you put me in one?" she said, thinking of her time hooked up to a hospital berth. "When I was sick."

Someone opened the door, and Updraft could hear the beeping of machines, many more than her own hospital stint. Thundercracker stood up, his big hand around her small one. "It depends on the damage," he said. "Let's go in now."

Updraft took his hand, vented in deeply, and followed. The room was spacious and white, and the smell of disinfectant stung her sensors. There was a berth, surrounded by equipment, but it was empty. Against the room's other wall, a nurse was returning to his station, watching a blue, glowing screen next to-

-Well, it _was_ Skywarp, though she had never seen him like this. She had never seen anyone like this, not even on the holoscreen. Skywarp was suspended in liquid, wires and tubes snaking out from his spark, his t-cog, the side of his face. His optics were offlined and shuttered, his injured areas neatly patched. He looked restful, even inside this tall, alien tube.

Updraft wanted to rush towards it, bang on the glass until Skywarp woke up and spoke to her. Smiled, blew bubbles, anything but this terrible stillness. Maybe there was a button inside that he could press, to drain that awful fluid, so he could walk out on his own two feet and grin widely at her. Better yet, he could teleport right out, in front of them. She would hug him, even sticky with repair nanites. She would sob.

This second, she couldn't bring herself to do even that. She watched as Thundercracker reached out a hand, steady as it pressed against the glass. Updraft waited for a twitch of Skywarp's fingers, though she knew it wouldn't come.

"I brought Updraft," Thundercracker said softly. "You'll see her soon, for sure, but I wanted you to know she's fine. They say you can hear sometimes, from inside those things. She's been very brave."

Updraft didn't know what to say. "Hi, Skywarp," was what she settled on, her voice weak. She took a few deep vents, before she found words again. "I miss you."

Thundercracker squeezed her shoulder, and Updraft forced herself to stand up straight. Thundercracker had plenty to worry about without Updraft starting to cry.

"What happened to him?" she asked finally. Her voice was hoarse, tired. "What got him so hurt?"

Thundercracker sighed. "He was in the air when the explosives went off. His wings and some fuel-burning components were damaged in the crash." He rubbed Updraft's shoulder, trying awkwardly to comfort her. "He'll be fine, okay? I know this is scary, but he'll be fine."

"Are you scared?" Updraft asked him. Silence. She glad Starscream wasn't here to see this—she could never be sure when he would choose to support his trine, and attempt to knock them down.

After some time, Thundercracker led her back out. It was only when she was back in her room, and she had stepped into the washrack, that she cried. It had gone unsaid, but Skywarp must have been flying to find her—hadn't he? If she hadn't run off, he wouldn't have had to fly, and crash. It wasn't like she'd be seeing Smokescreen again anyway, after all this.

Under the water, running on the highest setting, Updraft could sob in peace. Thundercracker had stayed with Skywarp, Skyquake was away (where had Starscream found missions for him now?) and Dreadwing needed rest. There was no one to get comfort from. So she tried not to need it.

The next few days were quiet, and boring. Updraft watched documentaries, and the news, and bathed twice a day. Dreadwing shook his head at her, but no one stopped her from wasting water and solvent. Staff checked on her daily, and by the way some grumbled, it was clearly on Starscream's orders. She saw Pharma once, when she peeked into the hall, and she had to be satisfied with his acknowledging nod. Starscream and Skyquake simply didn't come back, and Dreadwing was often distracted, on the comm with one or both of them.

Once, while Dreadwing dozed (the prescription made him sleepy, he said) Updraft did sneak out. Even five minutes with Thundercracker, even just a wave, would be better than being alone. Maybe Skywarp was resting in a berth now, not that awful CR chamber, and she could touch him. The intensive care floor was well-marked, not hard to find, and Updraft had already zeroed in on the corner she had to turn, when—

"What do you think you're doing?"

Red hands gripped her shoulders, and Updraft sighed. "I thought you were _too busy_ to deal with me," she said, already trying to push forward, out of Ratchet's grip. The doctor held fast. "And you had important things to do, like treat patients, and—"

Ratchet was already steering her back towards the elevator. "I have a few kliks to keep you out of dangerous wards," he snapped. "I know you're worried about your friend."

"Yes!" she shouted. It echoed off the walls. "I want to go home with them! I hate Iacon!"

Ratchet was muttering as he pulled Updraft into an elevator, and held her firmly away from the buttons to other floors. It sounded like " _you and me both, kid_ ," but she couldn't be sure. The growled "Stay in your room," she definitely heard, and she shuffled to the door under his watchful gaze. She hated Iacon, she hated hospitals, she hated doctors. She hated Starscream, too, for being gone, and her bodyguards for not knowing what to do with her. She even hated Skywarp and Thundercracker—one for scaring her so badly, and the other for being so frightened in the first place.

She was wiping coolant from her optics as she shut the door. Dreadwing had sprawled out on the berth, and on a better day Updraft would have grinned at him. Dreadwing was stoic and careful when awake, every movement carefully considered. In recharge, he had one foot hanging off the berth, his arm flung over his face. Updraft climbed up to the foot of the bed, against one of his legs. He didn't stir. She curled up, and offlined her optics. Comms revealed nothing, not even a ping of acknowledgement.

She hadn't realized she'd started to cry until hands were on her shoulders, jarring her back to reality.

"Oh, come now," Skyquake's voice said. Updraft clicked her optics back on in surprise, just as Dreadwing sat up behind her. "And you, brother—sleeping away while she cries. I thought you were the dedicated one."

Updraft sagged. She let Dreadwing pull her in, and Skyquake sat back, regarding them. He didn't look all that disheveled, and Updraft wondered, again, where he had been.

"You've been lonely," Dreadwing said. "We've been distracted, forgetting how that hurts you." He patted her shoulder with his free hand—awkward, but genuine, and Updraft opened her mouth to speak. Something like a sob came out instead, and Skyquake sighed.

"I have a little surprise for you," he said. "But perhaps I'll wait until you're not a crying mess."

Updraft was about to feel insulted, but she noticed Skyquake's optics in time, twinkling with mischief. She sat up. "What? What's my surprise?"

Skyquake smiled. Over her comm, she received a frequency, one she didn't know. "Save that, little one. When things have calmed down, try it out."

"Can I try it now?" Updraft asked. Her spark thrummed, stowing the frequency in her files. Maybe it was a better way to reach Thundercracker, or a radio program to keep her entertained. She was fast running out of things to watch.

"Soon," Skyquake said. "The surprise won't work until we're leaving. You'll spoil it otherwise."

"I know you can't stand to wait," Dreadwing said. "Impress us this time, though."

Skyquake leaned in, his grin crooked. "And, remember: this is _your_ secret," he said. When Updraft tilted her head, confused, he chuckled. "You won't get to keep it if your carrier knows. Or your friends."

Updraft still hadn't fully grasped what he meant. Dreadwing, reassuring, touched her head. The same mischief wasn't radiating from him, but he didn't seem to disapprove. Most importantly, he was awake, and his presence was comforting. Updraft could be satisfied with that.

"You must be very bored," Skyquake said after a moment. "With old Dreadwing sick and grumpy. And your new playmate gone, too."

Updraft winced—now, when she was feeling just a little bit better, she didn't want to think about Smokescreen. "Tell me a story?" she asked, finally settling against Dreadwing's arm. "A good one. About gladiators."

"There you are," Dreadwing said, and now Updraft could hear his smile. "I was getting worried that the old Updraft had left us entirely."

"No shortage of gladiator's stories in Kaon," Skyquake said, holding his chin in deep thought. "Have we told you about the first great pit fighter?"

Updraft wriggled, already anticipating. "No!"

There had been no lessons, nor stories (better than a really good lesson) since they had arrived in Iacon. For over a week there had been nothing at all, and this little thing felt like the sun coming up. She decided she couldn't hate her bodyguards after all. They knew better than she thought. "Start the story!"

"Yes, yes," Dreadwing said. The few times she had heard one of their stories, they had told it back and forth. "A long time ago, long enough ago for there to be no city-states, and two moons in the sky..."

Updraft dimmed her optics, but didn't doze. Skyquake continued, perfectly in tandem, and she listened to their story of the first gladiator, how he had fought off every monster in Kaon until it was all he knew. Thundercracker and Starscream disapproved of these legends, she knew, and the Kaonians were careful not to tell them too much. She must have really been upset, to earn such a treat.

She listened, and didn't think once about her surprise.

* * *

When Starscream re-entered her life, it was with a flurry. Her carrier stood at a storage unit, throwing anything he could grab aside as he searched for _something._ He was prim and polished, like he had never gone anywhere, and Updraft looked from him to the twitch of Skyquake's lips as he bustled from drawer to storage unit.

Finally he threw up his hands. "I'm already late!" he snapped, before he noticed Updraft sitting up. "You! Wash up, now."

Updraft rubbed her optics. "Why?"

"Skywarp's awake." Starscream's tone was clipped, and he threw a thermoblanket aside as if the news didn't matter. "He won't shut up about you, and-"

Updraft _shrieked,_ throwing off her own thermoblanket in delight. Starscream scowled. "Watch your vocalizer! Or I'll change my mind."

She had never scrubbed so fast in her life, and she probably missed spots, but for once she didn't care a bit. She only stalled when she tried something—two pings on her comm, to the people she was going to see. When she was acknowledged not just by Thundercracker, but by _Skywarp,_ too, she knew it was real. She dried off, slammed the washrack door, and scrambled past Starscream, for Skyquake's hand. Immediately, he tugged it away, full of mock disgust. "Still damp!"

She grinned. "I needed to be fast!"

"Well, let's go," Skyquake said, already pushing open the door. "Your carrier's not done his mad search."

"What'd he lose?" Updraft asked, trotting along after him. Her spark felt warm, like her red lantern. Skywarp was awake, and Skyquake had started smiling at her—real smiles, without the mischief. He had relaxed, and now Updraft could, too.

Skyquake shrugged. "Get-well gift for Skywarp. Don't worry about it."

Updraft stared. "Starscream only gets gifts for himself," she said, because it was most obvious thing in the world.

Skyquake grinned, and lowered his voice. "I think the _gift_ is just his hospital bill. Don't be too surprised."

Updraft grinned back, covering her giggle with one hand as an orderly stared at them. The _Intensive Care_ sign was as foreboding as ever, but now Updraft knew what awaited her. When she saw Thundercracker, wings held in the right place as he peered past the doorframe, Updraft started tugging.

Skyquake let her go, and she threw herself forward, almost too fast for Thundercracker to catch her. He scooped her up, and Updraft felt his exhaustion. Holding her took real effort, right down to his struts.

So she gave him her best, widest "good little sparklet" smile, and was thrilled when Thundercracker returned it. A tired, crooked grin, one that meant things were okay.

"He's still very tired," Thundercracker said, as if he himself wasn't. "So no running or yelling. Can you manage that?"

Updraft couldn't imagine Skywarp tired, but she nodded, her optics bright. Thundercracker shut the door behind them with a soft _click,_ then set her down. She saw the empty CR chamber, its machines quiet. She decided to never look at it again, and turned towards the important part of the room.

She remembered just in time not to run for the berthside, but barely. Now she saw what Thundercracker meant—Skywarp's exhaustion, just from getting better, went down to his struts. His optics didn't glow quite right, but that crooked, mischievous grin was the same. "Got your comm," he said. His voice was hoarse, and Updraft's spark felt like it would burst.

She was crying by the time she pressed herself against the berth's edge, close to Skywarp's free arm. She shook, and tried not to show it too much.

"You got hurt 'cause of me," she choked out. "I won't be bad again, I—I'm glad you're okay."

Skywarp's expression softened, which didn't make her feel any less overcome. "Aw, hey. Hey—none of that," he said gently. His hand reached up and cupped her face, and Updraft leaned right into the touch. Even soft-sparked, tired Skywarp was still Skywarp, and she would enjoy him for all he was worth. His optics brightened. "You didn't set off any bombs, did you? So no crying about it."

Updraft sniffed, and tried to obey. "I missed you," she said finally. "I was scared."

Skywarp's grin was crooked, and he pulled her in as best he could. She could see that even propped up, this was all taking real effort. "I missed you too." He leaned in, like he had a great secret for Updraft. "CR chamber fluid, by the way? Tastes like _slag's_ slag."

"Watch your language," Thundercracker said, as he paused beside Updraft. She grinned in delight at the language. He reached over her, gently pushing Skywarp against his berth. "And you lie back. You need rest."

"Yeah, yeah," Skywarp said, his optics flickering in his irritated way. But he did as he was told, slowly laying himself back. "All I've been doing is resting."

"And it's all you'll be doing for awhile." Thundercracker's hand rested on Skywarp's cheek. "Or I'll give you a reason to need that CR chamber again."

The words had no bite, and Skywarp knew it. "Yeah, TC. Don't worry so much."

Thundercracker snorted. "Worrying's all I can do."

Skywarp's grin went crooked. "You ought to get a little recharge, too," he said. "Told them to bring a fold-out berth for you."

"We can put it right here," Updraft chimed in. "So you guys can hold hands while you recharge."

Skywarp laughed, voice still so hoarse, and Thundercracker stiffened. Updraft wondered why he was so shy—he'd told her himself how much they loved each other. She could see it right here.

"That's my girl," Skywarp said. He shifted, just enough to take her hand. "Don't feel too bad, okay? TC's doing enough worrying for everyone."

Updraft nodded, and the rest of the visit was nice. When Skywarp started to wince partway through it, he let her press the button that flowed painkillers into his system. It didn't make her feel great too to do it—he needed it because of her—but it seemed to help. She told them about Starscream's gift of a hospital bill, and Thundercracker rolled his optics at the same time Skywarp laughed.

Too soon, Skywarp was dozing, too tired to keep up their conversation. Thundercracker made sure his thermoblanket was tucked close enough, and his readings were good, before walking Updraft back upstairs. It was a treat, to go hand-in-hand with him and not have to wait for Skyquake or Dreadwing.

"I owe you an apology," Thundercracker said in the elevator. Updraft looked up in surprise, and he looked away. "Skywarp wouldn't have left you alone all the time, ig it was me down there."

Updraft squeezed his hand. She was so tired of resenting everyone, and of her loneliness. She had them all back, and it hurt to think of otherwise. "I'm excited for lessons again," she said.

Thundercracker's mouth twitched. Almost a smile. "I'll bet."

With Skywarp recovering, Starscream demanded they all go home. Of course Skywarp had weeks left to go, and despite Starscream's whining for the contrary, Thundercracker would stay with him. Updraft dreaded leaving them behind. Bad things had happened when she stayed away from them.

"I have work for you two," Starscream told Dreadwing their last night. "So you'll be another few weeks as well."

Updraft's tanks turned over in dread. Maybe they would let her stay with Thundercracker, then. She could sleep on the fold-out berth with him, even on the floor. Anything but alone with Starscream, trapped in their Vos apartment. The little place in Iacon had survived the explosion, with all windows blown out. Starscream was already groaning about the cost of repairs.

Dreadwing jerked his thumb in Updraft's direction. "One of us is supposed to be with her."

"I'll be with her," Starscream said, tone clipped. "I have nowhere to be. She'll manage."

Dreadwing looked at Updraft, optics soft, and Updraft scowled at his pity. She shouldn't have expected things to start going better.

As Updraft got ready to go, her feet dragging against the floor, Dreadwing stopped her. Updraft ignored the comforting weight of his hand on her arm.

"Now will be a good time to try Skyquake's surprise," he murmured. "I'm sorry, little one. We are connected, and we'll return to you."

Updraft didn't answer him. She was quiet through Starscream's packing up, and settled into her seat on the shuttle. She acknowledged Thundercracker and Skywarp's goodbye comms, apologies that they couldn't see her in person. Skywarp was hurting that day, and Thundercracker couldn't leave him. Updraft understood. Of course she did.

Updraft hated Iacon.

The one surprise was a goodbye she didn't expect. Ratchet was waiting near the hospital's shuttle bay, scanner in hand and scowl clear. He caught Dreadwing with a diagnostic, apparently ensuring his prescription had worked, before he even noticed Updraft.

"Pharma will be back in Vos soon," he said to her. He had a datapad out already, intent on something in it. "You might just see him again."

"Do you think I'll get hurt?" Updraft asked. Ratchet finally looked down at her.

"Trouble _does_ follow you," he said. Behind them, Dreadwing waved at her as he left. She only felt sorry for ignoring him when he had given up and left, turning the corner.

Updraft frowned. "I thought you had lots to do," she said. "You sure do a lot of standing around."

Ratchet huffed. "I'm returning to my clinic in Rodion soon," he said. "And I needed to check on your friend. Since you haven't _seen_ me at work, yes. I suppose I look lazy."

Updraft remembered something, only as Starscream was calling her name. "Your friend," she said quickly. "From the first big party. Is he okay?"

Ratchet's optics brightened. "Orion? Oh, yes. He was at home on the city's other side." The corner of his mouth twitched. "He'll be pleased to here from you, though he's been very busy."

"Updraft!"

Starscream's voice was a warning. With a last look at Ratchet, Updraft turned and followed her carrier. What an odd old doctor.

As the shuttle took off, Updraft pulled up that comm frequency. She had nearly forgotten about it, distracted as she was by Skywarp and everything going on. She sent it a ping, and waited.

 _Who is this?_ was what she got back.

 _Updraft of the Vosian Heights. I was given your frequency to contact._

A beat of silence, long enough that Updraft wondered if she'd blocked out. And then:

 _Send long messages, like datalogs! My parents never check mine, but they monitor the comm. And—oh, this is Smokescreen! I missed you, Updraft! I was worried!_

Updraft grinned so wide that her faceplate hurt. She acknowledged him, and reached into her bag. They'd brought her back an undamaged datapad from the Iacon apartment—one with datanet connections. Starscream wouldn't miss it.

 _Smokescreen: Vos is hours and hours away, and I have nothing else to do but this. I have a_ lot _to tell, if you promise to tell me everything too..._


	7. Chapter 7

_It's so nice to have this done! School and other projects have kept me busy, but I'm just as excited as ever to update this work! Thanks so much for your patience, guys._

 _This chapter is set some time after the last one, though Updraft is still in her childhood. Thundercracker fans will be pleased this update, too (and as a Thundercracker fan, I am also pleased). Reviews and comments are, as always, a delight and appreciated!_

* * *

 _Grand Cybertronian Taxonomy, Class 1_

 _Intellectual Caste: Alt Mode Exempt_

 _Senators and Primal Entourage_

 _Spires Lines_

 _Order of Cybertron Recipients_

 _Military Caste_

 _Primal Vanguard_

 _Vosian Air Force (that's us!)_

 _Class 2_

 _Scientific Caste..._

"Any questions so far?" Thundercracker asked.

Updraft looked up, and quickly shook her head. She returned her gaze to her datapad, writing so intently that right away Thundercracker was suspicious. Listing was simple for Updraft—easy things like this meant her mind wandered, and she didn't always deliver the results Thundercracker knew she could.

That wouldn't keep him from making sure Updraft could list off the Taxonomy. He leaned over to see her progress, and right away she had covered the datapad with her hands, looking up at him with her most sugary smile.

"I've got it, TC, don't worry!" she said, Thundercracker already moving her hands. He sighed. The exact point where Updraft had dropped the list had resulted in several coloured drawings of jets, blasting off cheerfully from her schoolwork. To her credit, Updraft managed to look chastised. She pointed at the blue drawing. "There's you, on Starscream's left wing."

Thundercracker's lip twitched, and he forced back a smile. "Where I belong," he agreed. "But you're old enough to know better. Finish your taxonomy."

Updraft slumped back in her chair, and her dramatics reminded him that she really was Starscream's daughter. "I _know_ it, though," she said petulantly, twirling her stylus between her fingers.

Thundercracker was unmoved. "Well, prove it. I'm sure you can list it all out in the next twenty minutes, if you focus."

" _Ugh._ " Slowly, Updraft pulled herself back towards the table. Sometimes Thundercracker missed the eager little student, who had vibrated with the excitement of learning. The time had passed quickly. A few small upgrades had helped spark flashes of maturity, more and more often, but Updraft was young still. Evidenced now by how her shoulders now stooped, and the annoyed scrawl of her stylus.

Still, if the subject captured her, Updraft was an quick study. She probably knew more about flight theory Thundercracker's Academy students, and it was the things like this that made her quick mind sluggish. Unfortunately for Updraft, busy work was as much a part of life as the good stuff, and Thundercracker intended that she know it. Content she knew he was watching, Thundercracker returned to his other marking.

It was only ten minutes later when Updraft chirped "all done!" and pushed her datapad towards him. Thundercracker suppressed another sigh. It was scribbled, but it _was_ the Taxonomy, and all seemed to be in order. "Later you're going to copy this out, in type."

Her face fell, but only for a split second. Then she grinned, hopping down from her chair to put her hands on his knees. Her winglets perked up, a charming imitation of an older Seeker. "We should take a break now," she said. "We've been writing all morning. A walk, maybe? On the roof?"

Thundercracker finally allowed himself a smile. He would have said yes, if the front door hadn't opened at just that moment. Starscream, with his ever-perfect timing, burst in. Skywarp trotted close behind, optics dim with boredom. On reflex Thundercracker stood, ready to take whatever flak Starscream felt like throwing before Updraft had to.

"You would not _believe_ the day I'm having," Starscream groused, striding past the table without even looking Updraft's way. Hastily, she shut it off, intent on her messy work going unnoticed. "Thundercracker! I have to leave in an hour. Pack your things."

"Where?" Updraft asked in surprise.

"Iacon," Skywarp said, making a face. He came up behind her at that moment to sweep her up, delighting in her squeal of surprise. Thundercracker tried not to smile—Updraft looked truly ridiculous like that now, in her lengthened frame. Her long legs nearly kicked Skywarp's wings and he grinned, leaning out of her way.

He let Updraft's legs rest against one shoulder, upside down against his chassis. "He needs both of us this week, TC. They're mobilizing to choose the next Prime."

Updraft frowned, at the same time as Thundercracker. "You're going back there?" she said, pressing against Skywarp's arms. In a moment, he had her flipped over and set back on the floor. "I thought we weren't going back there."

"The attacks were years ago," Starscream said, returning with his small bag. "Security's been increased tenfold since then, and _you_ won't be going anyway. Dreadwing will be back this evening."

Updraft's face almost crumpled right there. She reached for Skywarp's hand, and Thundercracker's optics flared. "He won't be, though," he said, careful of his tone. "You sent them out to Helex just this morning."

Starscream swore, and Updraft's optics brightened. Skywarp's comforting hand on her helm probably helped. The Air Commander of Vos screwed up his face, trying to come up with an easy solution.

"Then I suppose I won't have my trine," he said. Not ideal. "But you know I need _one_ of you on my flank in these trying times."

Frustration stirred Thundercracker's spark. Starscream could easily take one or two of his other employees. (Better yet, he could remember whatever illegal nonsense he'd sent Updraft's bodyguards on, and make arrangements according, but that was none of his business.) Instead he'd chosen to separate Skywarp from him constantly. For Updraft, the sacrifice was one thing—her carrier? He sighed, resigned...then nearly groaned aloud, remembering something else.

"I need to be on campus," Thundercracker said. Starscream looked up, optics flaring. "They need me all this week for midterms. No remote lectures."

Starscream threw up his hands. A worried comm from Skywarp was pushed off. "Slag you, and slag your teaching," he growled, wings dipping down. "You'll take the sparklet, then. Skywarp, we don't have time to pack."

Of course he didn't. Primus forbid conjunx endurae stay together. Primus forbid even more that a carrier have plans in place for his lonely daughter. He looked from Starscream to Updraft, still close against Skywarp's side. She had the look of concentration someone speaking over comm could get, if they hadn't realized people were looking after all.

"You want her to go to the Academy?" Thundercracker said. In theory, Updraft could stay home alone—these days he could trust her to look after herself. It didn't mean she liked it, and Thundercracker already felt anxious at the thought.

Starscream waved his hand. "Yes, yes," he said irritably. "You might as well go now—those students need it, judging by the last graduate show."

There was no need to go _now_ , not when he had no scheduled class. But Skywarp had to, and he was already reaching for a rust stick bag to take along. Practiced by separations, he eased his hand out of Updraft's.

"I know, kid, I know," he said. _I'm promising her that I'll keep my line open,_ he said privately to Thundercracker. _Miss you already._

Thundercracker frowned. With the classes he was teaching, and all the fanfare around choosing Cybertron's next Prime, he and Skywarp had seen more time apart. To drive that point home to Starscream, he stepped forward to press a firm kiss on Skywarp's mouth, something that made Updraft step quickly back and Starscream groan in disgust.

"Gross!" Updraft said, making a show of how she turned her head away. A sharp look from Starscream silenced her, his wings fluttering with annoyance at Updraft's instant smile.

"Don't play any tricks," Thundercracker said, pulling back quickly. Skywarp's grin wasn't all that promising, but even he could probably behave for the Senate. "Don't eat too much, and _especially_ don't drink too much. Don't let the boss drink too much. I'll see you in a few weeks."

"Yes, yes," Starscream snapped, waving his hand. "We'll all behave ourselves, I'm sure."

"Are you sure?" Updraft said in her sweetest voice. They'd started to notice her willingness to talk back, if protection from her "uncles" was in reach. With Starscream in a rush, all he could do now was glower and grip his away bag tighter, tapping Skywarp on the wing.

"Off we go, then," he said briskly. "Dreadwing and Skyquake will join us in Iacon, when the new Prime is being picked. I _do_ remember agreeing to that."

"Off we go," Skywarp agreed, sounding wholly unenthusiastic. He rubbed Updraft's helm as he passed, hard enough to make her squeak as he followed Starscream out. "Be good for Updraft, TC!"

The apartment door closed with a _click_. Thundercracker sighed, tired and heavy. "Just you and me."

Updraft stepped up beside him, straightening her shoulders and trying to look tall. "It's been just you and me a lot. Starscream's been taking Skywarp everywhere."

"It happens that way when I teach," Thundercracker said, reaching for his datapad. "Every time he promises he won't go far, and every time _something_ comes up."

Updraft frowned, looking deep in thought. "You should tell him to stop it," she said. "I mean. You're his trine, and you've known him forever...he listens to you sometimes." She held out her arms. "And you like to teach, and Starscream likes that his trine member teaches! So you should tell him."

"Believe me," Thundercracker said. "I'd love to."

"Why don't you?" Updraft's optics were huge and bright, looking up at him expectantly. "You're gonna miss Skywarp a lot—especially because he went to Iacon, and remember what happened last time?"

"Sh. Yes, of course." Annoyed, Thundercracker stowed his datapad and picked up Updraft's, too. He tried not to think about their big trip, and what it had meant for him and Skywarp. "Starscream is still our trine leader, and there are things he does right. He splits us up when he has to." He couldn't help but smile at the face Updraft made in response. "Yes, really, there _are_ things he does well. He's not Air Commander for nothing."

Updraft smiled, though he could tell her spark wasn't in it. "He did make me. I don't think he meant to, though."

Thundercracker snorted, turning away, but it was to hide his smile. Starscream certainly had made her. The inconveniences had been worth it, for the new warmth in his spark, how Skywarp had thrived on this responsibility. How good it all was to see . "Let's talk about the Academy, then. How you'll behave there..."

* * *

Updraft was still clumsy on her new legs. Really, they were her old ones, lengthened and re-shaped, but these days she looked less undersized in chairs and kept up with Seeker strides. Just a little more grown-up, with new limbs and a slimmer chassis.

The winglets took more getting used to, with how they caught on doorways and wiggled without her thinking. Starscream hadn't wanted them ("her first wings should be for _flying_ ") but Updraft had begged, and Thundercracker had argued that no, they weren't really wings,just decoration. They made her look grown-up, and she pretended they were wider, enough to catch the air.

And how had she never guessed people _talked_ with their wings?

"So none of us actually _know_ wingspeak," Skywarp had told her. "Dying art and all. But everyone knows the basics. You probably know them already."

Updraft had been sure she hadn't, but it had just been simple things: if you were distressed, you pricked your wings up so everyone knew it. Sadness drooped them, joy flared them wide. Updraft wasn't so sure this was really _wingspeak_ and not just emotion, but Vosians took pride in what they could call their flier things. Thundercracker knew one real greeting, but Updraft hadn't caught on to much of it. She resolved to be taller than her uncles at upgrade, so she could be sure to see every movement.

She tried to practice her own wingspeak, too. Skyquake caught her once, grinned wide behind her in the full-length mirror, and she stopped trying if anyone was home.

After all, she wasn't a Seeker yet.

This week that wouldn't matter. Thundercracker had promised her that she'd be learning a lot more than old wingspeak from the Academy. From the shuttle window she could already see Vos's flight school, situated a short distance from the rest of the city. It was safer to learn away from the skyscrapers, she guessed.

Beside her, Thundercracker was tense. He clearly wanted to be flying over Vos, and Updraft didn't blame him in the least. One day soon, she thought. Once you all let me move on up and leave the shuttles behind.

"How many students do you have?" Updraft asked him. Her legs swung out over the seat, still not long enough to touch the floor.

"Depends on the year," Thundercracker said. "Thirty, right now. Fifteen per class, and in addition to that I'm a mentor to one group." He wasn't looking at her, but out the window, towards his work. Not flying wasn't the only reason he was antsy. Updraft knew bringing her wasn't his first choice, and being apart from his conjux was something he wanted even less.

She would have to behave—a visit to _the_ Vosian Flight Academy was still exciting, circumstances or not, and if she did something stupid they might reject her application one day. Starscream and his trine had attended here, too. All the best Vosians, among others, entered the flight corps here.

A message from Smokescreen pinged her comm, and for now she ignored it. It was hard to talk with Thundercracker rightthere. "What's mentoring?"

"We meet individually, discuss their futures, how they're doing in their courses. If they're struggling in some way, I try to help them. You'll mostly see the mentored class." Thundercracker finally looked over at her, his wings visibly twitching to be airborne. "Of course, most of them never come to me for help, and by the time they do it's too late."

Updraft tilted her head. "That's silly of them," she said. "You're a really good teacher."

Thundercracker's optics flickered. "Hm. You can tell my students you think that."

Pushing herself off the seat, Updraft leaned in close to his shoulder. "But I'm your favourite student, right? Not these bots that you see for two semesters."

That earned a real smile, which Updraft always called a victory. Thundercracker reached out, and tapped her on the helm. "Stay out of trouble and we'll see."

Satisfied, Updraft slid back down her seat, watching Thundercracker stare out the window. His wings twitched again. "Maybe you should get out and fly," she said, enjoying how he stiffened in surprise. "I'll meet you when we land."

"I'm fine," Thundercracker said, but knew better. Updraft pointed to the shuttle door, and leaned out of the way of his wings as he got up and made for the exit. Not even a minute had passed before he'd eased the door open, and was calling "Don't leave the shuttle bay!" over the wind. Then he was gone, the door slamming quickly shut. His sleek blue form, now a jet, shot past her window, and Updraft's spark jumped in her chest. One day soon. She _ached_ sometimes, with the urge to be airborne in Vos.

For now, she slid down in her seat, and opened Smokescreen's comm.

 _Saw Starscream on the holoscreen. Are you in Iacon?_

Smokescreen always asked, though the answer was always the same. Starscream still made trips there, but ever since the New Year's disaster, Updraft had been kept home. Until now, the others had generally stayed with her. _No,_ she replied. _I'm with TC. Visiting the Vosian Flight Academy._

 _You didn't get your wings yet, though,_ Smokescreen said. Updraft frowned.

 _Not yet,_ she said. _But there's lots to learn. TC teaches there._

 _My new frame's halfway done. Almost decided on the alt—something like my sire's, I think._ Of was a roller through and through, and it was better Starscream and his trine stayed ignorant of Updraft's comms.

 _I thought you wanted to be a racer._ Whenever Smokescreen's carrier won an alt-mode race, Updraft heard about it until she wanted to block the slagger's frequency. _Five Ibex Cups to your name and all that stuff._

 _Not so sure any more. The Elite Guard is recruiting._

 _Very funny. You as a soldier!_

Smokescreen sent something back, but Updraft had to put it on hold. The Academy had come up fast, and the shuttle landed with a jolt. She yelped.

"Sorry!" called the pilot. He poked his head into the cabin, visibly relieved Thundercracker wasn't there to scold him. "Sorry, miss. Won't happen again."

She hadn't seen him before, so she made sure to smile wide. "That's okay. You are...?"

Starscream's lesser staff often thought Updraft would act just like him, and it was so much easier to prove them wrong. The surprised pilot forced a smile her way. "Cumulus, miss."

"Thank you, Cumulus!" The pilots were usually different, and shuttles were rare enough that she likely wouldn't see Cumulus again. Still, Dreadwing said there was no harm in treating the lower castes with dignity, and he assured her that he'd know.

She hopped down from the shuttle herself, glancing around the bay for Thundercracker. He was polite to staff, too, but he would have warned the pilot not to do it again. Polite wasn't the same as kind.

It turned out she had beaten him there, as a blue jet glided in and transformed, landing neatly on both feet. Updraft soon fell into step beside him as the approached campus.

"It's smaller than I thought," she said. It had seemed sprawling from the air, full of airstrips and practice space, but there were only a few dormitories to one side, and the main school building ahead.

"This won't be your only schooling," Thundercracker said. "Not for you, anyway. Starscream will send you abroad to fill out your skillset."

Updraft nodded—Starscream and his trine had attended a science academy too, outside of Vos, but they all spoke much more fondly of here.

Updraft certainly couldn't imagine Skywarp excelling anywhere in a classroom. Open sky and maneuvers? Those were part of him. "Don't people from other cities come?"

"A few. Most outside Vos head for the Elite Guard." Thundercracker made a face at that. "I taught a semester there, too, when we were in Iacon for a year. Didn't like teaching non-jets."

Helicopters and shuttles were interesting enough—Updraft swore she'd seen a beast mode once—and welcome in Vos, but the hot spots rarely produced them. As she picked out groups of students, flying or walking the grounds, the alt modes were familiar and Vosian. Iacon might have left a bad taste, but she couldn't deny her love for the variety and colours. Vos could do to be less muted.

Thundercracker tapped Updraft's shoulder, and pointed at one of the dormitories. "Highest window on the right. Our old room."

Updraft squinted, because it didn't look all that different from the other, identical windows at first. It did seem to glint paler in the sun, like the finish had been damaged. "Why's the metal all bleached?"

"A Skywarp incident," Thundercracker said. He shook his head, but Updraft caught his smile. "I'm sure he'd tell it better than me."

Updraft grinned, and she could picture it in her mind, some ridiculous trick that had backfired and caused harmless property damage. A young Skywarp would have laughed it off, then groaned in protest if they'd made him clean it up and admonished. Older, experienced Skywarp would laugh just as hard at such a silly thing, but he wouldn't have been the one to cause it. Not on purpose. (Probably, ayway.)

They stopped at the energon dispensary, and Thundercracker bought her something sweet to drink on the way. The staff stared at her, as did the students in line, but it no longer bothered Updraft. Sparklets were a rare sight out in Vos.

After that (and the wait took _forever,_ with Thundercracker reminding her there was plenty of time before class and a cube of his own to finish), they set out for the landing pad for class. "Class" had made Updraft think of desks in rows, with a teacher at the front and a roof over their heads. Smokescreen had described his new school to her, and the quarters she could one day expect. But of course flight class would take place in open air. Lectures were for school subjects, and flying took up space, needed sky. It was a clear day, too, perfect for Seekers to stretch their wings. Updraft watched a group blast by in envy, like meteors over her head.

"Won't it only take a minute if we fly?" Updraft said. Some distance ahead, she could see a couple students landing.

"Of course," Thundercracker said. "But I'd have to carry you. I'm not built for that."

Updraft made a face, but on they walked. In the end, it _was_ still being out in the sun, with a wide sky above her the main city distant.

Thundercracker's class was smaller than he's said. Updraft was halfway through counting the young mechs when he huffed in annoyance next to her.

"They're skipping," he said, his voice a grumble. "No comms to say otherwise."

Updraft looked around at this state-of-the-art landing pad, at the newly renovated buildings—and remembered the stories Skywarp had told of Starscream's trine cutting class. He had said it was an Academy thing. Thundercracker must have forgotten what being a student was like.

Right away, someone spotted Updraft, and the young Seekers instantly forgot their conversations. The new whispers were obviously directed at her, several fingers pointing in her direction. She glanced their way, and cracked a grin at their obvious surprise—she did love the attention. She was sure the students who had skipped would be sorry they'd missed Starscream's sparklet.

Thundercracker straightened his shoulders and flared his wings. Right away his students had scrambled into some form of order, lined up in front of them. Still, some were craning their necks or turning their optics, trying to get a better look at Updraft. She played her part and waved.

"I didn't know you had a kid," one of them said. Updraft stifled a giggle—the student had said it just as Thundercracker had opened his mouth to address them. Looking defeated, he nonetheless smoothed his expression.

"The _Air Commander's_ daughter will be with me this week, learning from your midterms," he said. "I'll be letting her carrier know how much you taught her, as I'm sure you're all prepared well for your test flights."

Right away the students looked worried. The one who had spoken (a tall, black jet) raised an optic ridge. "Those are at the end of the week."

"Yes, and you'll be practicing for us." Thundercracker's tone went firm. His students jumped into line and Updraft nearly did, too. She knew that voice, and it wasn't to be trifled with. "Now, if more of you had been coming to free flight time, we might have had more time to practice, but-"

"I have been going!" protested a little jet down the line. Her classmates stared at her. She shrugged. "I have," she said again, like she herself didn't believe it.

"You have, Firebrand," Thundercracker agreed. "To socialize, from what I see, but...yes, you've been in attendance."

Firebrand's optics were still on Updraft, avoiding Thundercracker's, and Updraft made sure to wave. Firebrand smiled shyly and returned it, just as Updraft felt Thundercracker tap on her shoulder. She straightened up, looking ahead.

"Today we'll be going over formations," Thundercracker said. "Not all of your trines are full today, but you'll have to make do." To the students' credit, none of them groaned, though they all looked like they wanted to. Updraft wasn't sold on the military might of their next generation.

Thundercracker gestured to a tall femme in the middle. "Windblade. You and Firebrand will help me demonstrate."

The femme stepped out, and Updraft was stricken. Windblade's plating gleamed red, and her wings were long and graceful, shaped in such a way to show she wasn't Vosian. Most striking at all was her faceplate, painted white with delicate red patterns, and Updraft wondered where she had gotten _that_ done. She was all vivid in a sea of pastels, and winked one blue optic at Updraft as she stepped out of line.

Thundercracker must have been used to her fashion sense by now, because he didn't bat an optic. He gestured to a spot just apart from the line of students. "Updraft, stand over there. Pay close attention."

She nodded, and did as she was asked—but it was still so odd to see Thundercracker flanked by different bots, and she was glad she'd been told to watch. All of the students were well-built, but those femmes in particular were striking. Would she be that beautiful, when upgrade time came? Suddenly she felt dumpy and small, with her false winglets and short frame.

"We'll start with Icestorm's turns," Thundercracker said. "Comms on, all of you—yes, I know you all know how to do them. Prove it to me. Windblade and Firebrand, in pursuit. I want to see sharp turnarounds and smooth flightpaths."

Windblade had only rolled her optics once so far, and she had kept her attention closely on Thundercracker. Updraft watched the three of them transform and lift off, and Thundercracker was off like a shot. She guessed correctly that Windblade would catch up first—if that student always paid attention this well, she knew the signs of Thundercracker banking, trying to get them back into line. Firebrand was smaller, arguably speedier, but her flight wobbled. It was a good thing that they were only first semester, because Starscream would never look twice at an unsteady Seeker come employment.

 _Now,_ barked Thundercracker over comm. Instantly he'd picked up speed, shooting over their heads, and the students had banked into their turns. 180 degrees, at the same altitude. Updraft knew Icestorm's turn, and both of these were good examples. Windblade's was better, and she had the edge first. A ping went out over the comms, and instantly all three of them were turning and landing. Firebrand hit the ground hard, and Thundercracker's reached out to steady her like he'd been doing it for years. She looked put out about needing it, but Updraft knew how Thundercracker touched her shoulder, and it hadn't been punishment.

"Good work from both of you," Thundercracker said. He'd already turned back to the rest of his class. "I had you two demonstrate a relatively simple maneuver, because the other class has been consistently mixing it up with a chandelle, which is, of course..."

"A 180-degree turn with rising altitude," Windblade said. Her classmates looked relieved—most of them didn't look seem they knew the difference. Thundercracker raised a brow, and Updraft stifled a smile. He'd noticed.

He clasped his hands together in front of him. "That's the easy part over, then. I'd like some volunteers for another demonstration."

The two who bravely stepped up didn't fly as neatly as Windblade, and Thundercracker spent more time in the air with them, directing and lecturing over his comm. No wonder they sent good Vosians to flight school. Had her Seekers ever flown this badly?

After a number of these, Thundercracker lectured, a lesson that seemed to be a review to help that week. "I'll be here every day this week for your free practices," he said, after what Skywarp would have called a "brutal" dressing-down. "And because some of you forget: no question is too stupid." His lips quirked. "I've been teaching a long time, and I've heard it all. I won't make fun of you. It won't get you any mercy when I observe your midterm, but you'll all have your displays together by then."

Updraft couldn't recall ever looking that worried about a test, but almost all of the students glanced at each other furtively, optics flickering with nerves.

There was a palpable wave of relief when Thundercracker dismissed them. Right away, Updraft was surprised to see several of the students rush up to him, as if he hadn't just scared them all into submission. The furtive glances her way, and pointing fingers, made it clear why they were so excited.

"I didn't know the Air Commander had a daughter!" one of them said.

"I did," said Firebrand. She tipped up her chin. "Every Vosian knows. The ones who pay attention."

"Well, we're not all Vosian," Windblade said. She hadn't rushed their instructor, but she was looking Updraft's way.

Thundercracker smiled slightly, and Updraft was shocked enough by it to walk right over to the little group. "You might want to get your priorities in order, then," he said. "Updraft gets plenty of attention without you all crowding her."

"That's okay," Updraft said. The big black mech, the one who'd first asked about her, jumped, because she'd been directly behind her. "I don't meet enough new people, TC. You said so yourself."

One of the other students crowed in delight. " _Teecee?_ " he said, his optics wide. "Can _we_ call you that?"

"I will shoot you out of the sky if you do, Delta," Thundercracker said. He raised a brow the student's way.

Updraft checked her chronometer—class time was over, and seemed to mean a different Thundercracker. Off hours, his students could be friendlier, but Updraft was surprised that he allowed it. Someone else pushed Delta out of the way, to ask Thundercracker a lesson related question. Before she could be crowded, Updraft caught up to Firebrand.

"I liked your turns," she said. "Your alt mode looks a lot faster than you were going today, though."

Firebrand grinned at her, wings relaxed. "Oh, yeah," she said. "I _think_ I'm a bit faster than Thundercracker, but I haven't had a chance to find out."

"Maybe if you do really well on your test," Updraft said. She smiled, because _that_ would be a sight, Thundercracker racing one of his newbuilt students. Firebrand frowned.

"Well, I won't," she said, voice a little softer. "I'm sure I'll pass—probably—but he doesn't like me. And just passing doesn't get you top jobs in the Corps."

She was right, but Updraft smiled at her anyway. "I bet you'll do better than you think. I'm going to come and see all the practices this week, and I bet Thundercracker will help you if you go."

Firebrand shifted uncomfortably. "He already got on my case about that."

"So prove him wrong," Updraft said. _"I_ think your form is good, you just need refinement."

Firebrand raised a brow. "You know a lot about flying for a little sparklet."

"I'm the Air Commander's sparklet," Updraft corrected, as she drew herself up to her full height. "I have to know as much as I can. So I can be top of my class one day."

Firebrand's optics flashed with amusement. She reached out, and tapped Updraft lightly on her shoulder. "I have an appointment to keep," she said, "but I'll see you at practice. You're fun, kiddo." Joining a couple of the other students, she transformed and shot through the air, Updraft almost missing her with how quickly she reached top speed.

The students eventually dispersed, and Updraft fielded a few more polite questions from the stragglers. To her disappointment, Windblade had already gone, so Updraft couldn't get another look at her painted face. Thundercracker didn't hustle her away as quickly as she's expected, his hand resting on one of her winglets.

"She's lucky," one of the students said, as they were finally leaving. "I don't think I was observing classes at her age."

"Most of us didn't get to be her age," Thundercracker said wryly. "She's making the most of it, though."

The note of pride in his voice wasn't lost on Updraft, and she was glowing with it as they left. Thundercracker was certainly in a better mood than when they'd started out. "What did you think?" he asked, on their way off the landing strip.

"They're nice," she said. "You were a little hard on their last demonstration."

Thundercracker smirked. "I know what they're capable of," he said. "And most of my students are lazy, so they need the extra push." He tapped the top of her helm. "You carried yourself well today."

Updraft's spark instantly felt lighter. "I guess I'll just have to behave myself all week," she said. Her smile went mischievous. "Maybe I'll even get a flight out of it, right?"

"Mm." Skyquake carrying her during the Iacon attacks didn't count, though it had been pointed out before. "You know Starscream wouldn't like that."

Thundercracker's mood was good enough that Updraft pushed. "Starscream doesn't have to know."

"We'll see." Updraft slumped— _we'll see_ usually meant no—but straightened up fast. No reason to make Thundercracker disappointed so soon after a good day.

Thundercracker didn't have them shuttled all the way back home—they stopped on one of Vos's wealthy streets, one of the few where people strolled to window shop and socialize. Thousands of jets still flew above them, but the sunny walkways below were just the right kind of packed. Under the clear sidewalks, more still flew below them, a thrilling feeling. Thundercracker had to tug Updraft along, well past an alluring anti-grav display.

They sat at an energon counter, and Thundercracker ordered them some expensive-looking energon sweets. Updraft made note of all the colours and flavours, so that she could brag about them later to Smokescreen. Thundercracker, still warm with his good mood, told her a story about escaping Starscream as a young mech, and eating with Skywarp in a place just like this.

From there, with a goodie bag of what they hadn't finished, Thundercracker simply walked her to the Red Heights, where his apartment was. "No sense going all the way to your neighbourhood," he said, and Updraft was pleased to hear it. She liked Thundercracker and Skywarp's little place, with its enormous windows and low, cozy ceilings. Thundercracker let her play Skywarp's game console, and even joined in on a racing round before recharge.

The rest of the week followed a similar vein. Lessons in the morning, mostly related to flight theory—one morning they got up early, so Thundercracker could lecture his classes and Updraft could realize just how advanced she was—and practice that afternoon. Of the thirty students, most of them showed up at one point or another. Updraft learned most of their names, and they generally seemed excited to meet her, too. Firebrand and Windblade showed up for each one, to Updraft's pleasure. There weren't a lot of bots in the class who went by _she,_ and Updraft herself had met hardly any. It helped that they were the friendly.

"The paint? It's something we do on Caminus," Windblade told her. Updraft knew the colony worlds, and knew she had read the word _Cityspeaker_ , but Windblade's explanation wasn't quite something she understood. "It doesn't hurt that I stand out around here, too."

Windblade whispered that, and Updraft took it to spark. Similar frames, muted colours...Vos loved those, and it held dearly to the rare few frametypes its hotspots produced. But to be like Windblade, confident that she was being seen above the crowd, seemed admirable, too. She did all this without being vain or egotistical, too, Starscream's preferred methods of being noticed.

"Why don't you fly with us for a bit?" Windblade asked, gesturing to a couple other students. It was the last practice, and Updraft could feel the tension around them, as Thundercracker made a valiant effort to get his students together. Most had gone home, but Firebrand remained, making landing after landing, as gears were adjusted and wing positions critiqued.

Updraft shook her head. "No anti-gravs," she said, gesturing to her feet. Windblade's optics went bright, and she could feel Firebrand leaning over her in surprise.

"The Air Commander's kid doesn't have anti-gravs installed? Huh." Windblade looked her up and down, hands on her hips. "I thought Vosians were flying-obsessed."

Updraft shrugged. "I'll fly on my wings." She hadn't quite given up on begging for those anti-gravs, but she'd always known that they wouldn't be happening. "When I get them."

"Hmm." Windblade tapped her chin, apparently pretending to be deep in thought. "Hang on." Windblade stepped past her, and stopped Thundercracker in the middle of a last-minute tip for Firebrand. Updraft watched his brows rise, shifting on her feet as Thundercracker glanced from her to Windblade. Her wings were dipped politely, her hands held in front of her.

Thundercracker shook his head. Updraft's spark sank, and she prepared for a lecture on her behaviour as he approached her. It hadn't been _her_ idea, but that didn't mean anything, not in public. She got ready for Thundercracker to tell her to say her goodbyes, so they could get going. This last practice, they'd stayed late.

Instead, he reached down, and lifted her right onto his hip. Updraft nearly squeaked in surprise, because she was too big for that, and Thundercracker smiled.

"I'm afraid you can't take her up, Windblade," he said, looking over. "But you've got spark for asking." Updraft's tanks twisted with confusion, trying to work out what was going on. When she heard Thundercracker's engines rumble, it hit her headlong, and she had to work hard not to squeal her excitement.

"If someone's going to carry her up, it needs to be someone experienced." Thundercracker's optics glinted as he looked down at Updraft, and she wished Skywarp was here to see it.

She didn't have time to think about it any longer, because Thundercracker was telling her to _hang on_ and they were off, past the first thin layer of cloud cover and faster than she'd ever gone before. She didn't even see their ascent, pressed tightly into Thundercracker's side as she was, but when she did dare look she felt the cool mist of clouds on her face, heard the rushing air, saw the school far (far!) below.

Thundercracker had a grimace of concentration, one arm tightly around Updraft to keep her in place. Updraft felt no fear at being so high up, though her position was precarious, nothing between her and solid ground but Thundercracker's arm. The solid _knowing_ of belonging in the sky—no, _to_ the sky—cemented in her spark.

They only did one circuit around campus before Thundercracker slowed, and took them back down. Updraft wobbled as she was set, gently, on solid ground, all her systems alight just from those few minutes airborne. Possibly the best few minutes of her life.

Windblade was watching them with some awe, and plenty of surprise. "I wouldn't have taken her that high."

"You're not a professional." Thundercracker's systems hummed, and the exertion had flushed his plating warm. "Well? How was your secret first flight?"

Her optics were shining as she looked up at him. "Skywarp's gonna be _so proud_ of you for disobeying orders."

The smile she got was almost better than the flight. Almost. On the way home (with the shuttle—Thundercracker was still tired), even as she bragged to Smokescreen about how fearless she had felt, she was thinking of that first night she'd met this Seeker, years ago. His stoic, serious nature, and Updraft wondering why excitable Skywarp had taken him as a conjunx endura. To that little sparklet, new to hearing about such relationships, it had seemed unlikely.

Thundercracker wasn't the same person he'd been then, but Updraft thought she'd figured out where Skywarp was coming from.

The midterm barely felt like an event, after her five minutes airborne. Not one of the trines flew with the beauty Starscream's did, but Thundercracker had reminded her beforehand that they were still learning. "Starscream wouldn't want you to see _his_ first big flight," he'd said.

Everyone did alright. Firebrand looked like she could have cried with relief at her grade, though Windblade tilted her head at hers—"There's always the final," she told Updraft, a note of disappointment in her voice.

On their way home, for good, Thundercracker seemed satisfied. "So you're sure you're a flyer?" he said. She knew by now he was teasing. "They say some sparklets go against their coding. Pick alt modes with wheels or treads."

Updraft grinned. "When I get my wings, I'm never coming down."

"Good girl." Thundercracker reached out, rubbing her helm affectionately. "You'll be a fine Vosian."

They went to Thundercracker's place, and rested. Updraft got a rare break from lessons to eat sweetsticks and play Skywarp's games, and Thundercracker marked his student's written work without interruption. Two weeks passed. Then three. Updraft, getting bored, stopped keeping count. It wasn't that they were worried (well, a little, because Thundercracker always did when he and Skywarp were parted), but they _should_ have been back. They stopped spending nights at Thundercracker's apartment, knowing Starscream's would be the first place they'd show.

To fill the hours—even Thundercracker, whose semester break was in session—they watched the proceedings to choose the next Prime. It had taken years of interim government and what seemed like endless back-and-forth for Iacon to choose someone. If they'd asked Updraft (and no one important would) the new mech, Sentinel, was no one special. Solemn on the holoscreen, as he went through the motions of the Primal religious ceremonies. Updraft had been there in Iacon, had _met_ the old Prime before his murder, but it felt a universe away from her Vos and her circle. Updraft tended to tune out at discussions of _political unrest._ It only made her remember weeks of living in a hospital, Skywarp's limp form in a CR chamber. Better to push it from her mind. Iacon would be better one day, and she was Vosian after all.

Still, the pings to their comms weren't quite reassuring. She might not pay attention to political unrest, but she knew its potential wasn't good.

They _finally_ filed in one night, all of them without notice. Skywarp's raucous chatter and the twins' heavy steps announced their presence and had both of them rushing for the door. Updraft shrieked in delight and raced for Skywarp, who hugged her with one arm as he pulled Thundercracker in, hard, with the other. Starscream quickly had Thundercracker by the elbow, pulling him away to discuss _something important,_ but Updraft ignored him. Unfazed, Skywarp pulled something out of his subspace and hid it before Updraft could catch a glimpse.

"Got a present for you!" Skywarp said gleefully. His hands were behind his back, his wings twitching with his excitement.

Right away Updraft was craning her neck, leaning over in an effort to get a better look. Skywarp was ready for her and twisted his body, blocked her view. "Nope! Wait until we're settled."

"For spark's sake." In an instant Dreadwing had passed behind Skywarp, and snatched whatever it was out of his hands. Skywarp groaned, loud enough that Thundercracker and Starscream both looked up from their talk to stare at him.

"Just a little fun!" he protested. "Don't they teach you how to have fun in Kaon?"

"No," said Dreadwing flatly. His optics fell on Updraft, and for her he had a smile, as he showed her the screen of a new datapad. Updraft rushed him, intent on a better look, because they were clearly all in on it. In general, Skywarp and Skyquake didn't give two kliks about a good book. "You have been asking about this for some time."

"You'll love it!" Skywarp said. His optics glittered with mischief. "Trust me."

Updraft took the datapad and flicked it on. It took her a moment to realize, exactly, what this was, because it was clearly a technical document and not for leisure. " _Vosian and Seeker Frametypes_ ," she read aloud. " _Modern Upgrades and Alternate Modes._ "

Dreadwing's big hand rested gently atop her helm. "You Vosians are all small," he said, "But I'll miss you being quite this little."

Updraft whirled around, facing Starscream and Thundercracker. "The doctor said it's not time," she blurted out. "Not till my spark feels too big." It was all she could think of to say, with how her tanks had constricted and said spark hummed with excitement. "Am I getting my wings?"

Starscream's mouth twitched. His smiles were always sneers, but Updraft was pretty sure by now that he couldn't help it, and she was perfectly safe with everyone home. His long fingers rested on her shoulder, and he leaned over her to scroll through the book's pages. "It'll be some time yet," he said, "but ample time is needed for a decision. I've hired a designer to work with us."

"With her," Skywarp corrected. He shrank back only a fraction at the way Starscream's optics flared. "It's her alt mode."

"Of course!" Starscream said smoothly, straightening back up. "But she'll need guidance from her carrier on how best to make the choice. The rest of you, too, I suppose."

"The book _was_ Dreadwing's idea," Skyquake said. He was leaning in the doorway, of course, arms folded. "Good one, too. TC-esque."

Updraft clutched her new volume to her chest. Ideas for _her_ to peruse, to help make her adult frame real. Her uncles valued their choices, too, those they could slip under Starscream's nose. This choice was no different in that way.

She could thank them later. Right now, they wouldn't mind if Updraft put on her sweetest smile, and turned it on Starscream. "I'm so happy you thought about me while you were gone! You took good advice about this gift." She liked the way his wings stiffened, how his optics widened in surprise. "I'll start my research right away."

"Yes, well..." Starscream said, almost fumbling over his words. "Did you learn anything useful at the Academy?"

It wasn't lost on Updraft how Thundercracker's optics went bright, for just a second. Such a normal question about her time away, on the verge of genuine interest. "They were impressed by how many maneuvers I knew," she said, knowing her optics glittered with mischief, and that Starscream didn't look her way enough to catch on. "I really admired your old school. I'm sure I'll learn the same constraint and modesty you did."

Thundercracker's jaw dropped, and there was the sound of Skyquake coughing over his laugh behind her. Starscream was already vulnerable in his surprise, and she knew right away that her earnest tone had bowled him over. Her carrier huffed, flicking his wings upwards, hands twitching.

"I...of course," Starscream said quickly. "I'm sure Thundercracker kept you busy this month." With that he was gone, turning much too fast towards his room. When the door shut and they were satisfied he couldn't hear them, Skyquake's laugh rumbled up.

"Did you plan that, little one?" Updraft whirled around, and found Skyquake's optics flashing with delight. His shoulders shook in barely-contained amusement, as they always did when Starscream had cracked him up.

"Updraft." Thundercracker's voice was low, and any warmth from Skyquake's amusement evaporated. At this second, Thundercracker was all instructor.

"She did nothing," Dreadwing said. He was on the apartment's other side, filling cubes from the dispenser. "She was polite to her carrier. What more do you want of her?"

"She—you're not stupid, low-caste or not," Thundercracker said, his voice more sharp. "You know that's not what she was doing."

Skyquake's engine clicked on. A low rumble Updraft had grown to recognize as protective, reserved for when someone gave his twin trouble. (For Updraft, too, but he never needed it.) Dreadwing acted as if he hadn't been spoken to that way, passing energon to Updraft and Skyquake. "We all know the mech's shortcomings. You and Skywarp know them more clearly than anyone else."

"I know what?" Skywarp said. He was grinning, but he'd been bent over a gaming datapad at the table. Unsurprisingly, he'd missed everything. Dreadwing sighed.

"You're his daughter, Updraft," Thundercracker said. His optics fell back on her, and there was that edge in his voice that she'd never liked. "The next time you bring up his...traits, in that way, he'll notice."

Any victory she'd had over her wordplay had evaporated. Updraft only nodded in seriousness, and Thundercracker touched her shoulder as he passed. "Skywarp," he said over his shoulder. "Time to go."

"Yeah! Yep," Skywarp said quickly. He pushed himself up from the table and rubbed Updraft's helm hard as he passed. "We'll go out soon, kiddo. Catch a holovid or something, right?"

"Right." They would, sometime in a couple of weeks. Updraft would have to remind him—she could tell by how the two of them made for the door, shoulder to shoulder, how much they were looking forward to their flight home.

When they were gone, and the sounds of Starscream's washrack started up down the hall, Updraft dropped herself onto the couch with a groan. Dreadwing's mouth twitched, and she made a point of sinking further.

"Can you sip your cube that way?" Skyquake asked, still all amusement. Updraft only stared at him. She knew her optics were too bright.

"Starscream walks all over them," she said flatly. "And you, too."

"Oh, no, he doesn't." Skyquake grinned at her, folding his arms over his broad chest. "Don't you remember why we stayed, little one?"

"Certainly not for him." Dreadwing still seemed massive when he sat next to her, little upgrade or not. "I'm not sure those two stay for him these days, either."

Updraft frowned. That was wrong, but maybe it was better to let Dreadwing and Skyquake believe that, so her uncles could all get along a fraction better. A lot of what Skywarp and Thundercracker did was for her sake, yes—all their separations these days came from her needing company—but what if they one day needed to subvert her carrier completely? No, they wouldn't leave his side, not completely. Updraft resolved not to make them, either. She felt rotten enough keeping them apart.

"I guess," was all she said. She decided, after a moment's deliberation, that it would be best just to forget about it. Why start building resentment, when those two had saved her from Starscream in the first place? Updraft leaned over, pressed against Dreadwing's side. It wouldn't be long now before she'd be too big for that.

Skyquake snorted, but soon he'd squeezed himself in on her other side, and put on the holoscreen. Updraft didn't pay all that much attention to the show, dozing instead on Dreadwing's side. They'd flown a lot of the way home, still smelled like cloud cover and outside air.

They _were_ here for her, not for Starscream. They had threatened him more than once, in the effort to keep her safe. So had Skywarp and Thundercracker, though never as overtly. They'd all worked hard to tame Starscream (though it hadn't really worked).

But maybe she could have been born Skywarp and Thundercracker's sparklet instead. Maybe Dreadwing or Skyquake could have had her, and the other really would be her uncle.

They were disturbed by Starscream, the click of his heels sharp on the floor. "I'm off," he called, barely looking their way. Beside her, Skyquake shifted, grumbling out of his sleep

Updraft sat up, leaning over the couch's back. "Where are you going?"

Starscream paused in the doorway, and raised a brow. "Sunstorm's get-together. I'll be back late."

Skywarp and Thundercracker had picked the right time to go home. Updraft could see them being dragged along on such an outing, weeks apart or not, exhausted behind Starscream's posturing. Satisfied, she settled back in against Dreadwing, who had hardly stirred at the disruption. "Don't drink too much," Updraft said, optics already offined.

Starscream didn't answer, and the door clicked shut. Skyquake snickered as soon as he was clear, before settling back in. Updraft clicked on an optic and saw him grinning. He didn't look frightening at all this way, not relaxed, one arm over the back of the couch. "Not a bad gig, huh, Dreadwing?"

Dreadwing grunted in assent, but he was clearly not paying much attention. They probably hadn't slept much on whatever long, distant mission Starscream had sent them out on this time. They could use a little quiet. The datapad cradled carefully in Updraft's arms meant that times that this wouldn't last much longer, either. An upgrade meant wings. She was starting to realize what else it might mean, judging by Starscream's enthusiasm over her new frame. Childhood had a tangible, very real end, and now it was coming.

She decided to push those thoughts away. The blue light of the holoscreen lit up the room, and her two bodyguards were already in a well-deserved doze. Updraft curled up too. Two weeks ago, at the academy, she'd been happy to play adult, glowing under the attention of those students and at Thundercracker's pride in her. For now, she was happy to be a sparklet.


	8. Chapter 8

_Nice to get out another update! Big things are coming, and as always I appreciate the readers and reviewers. Enjoy!_

* * *

" _Not_ that."

"Why not that?"

Starscream threw up his hands. It wasn't the first time that morning, and Updraft had hoped that after the third time he had given up in disgust that this would have gotten easier. One would think someone who walked on stilettos stood less firm, but he had always been stubborn.

No matter. Unfortunately for Starscream, Updraft had inherited the trait.

"I don't like it," Starscream said finally. Some argument. "I used to have a cockpit on the front and it got in the way."

"Not for this alt," Updraft said. She looked to Windward for confirmation. Their long-suffering designer nodded, her optics visibly dimmed with exhaustion. Updraft pointed, again, at the example, giving Starscream the firmest look she could muster.

"It's true, sir," Windward said. She didn't cower at the Air Commander's black look (Updraft had heard her muttering about the demands of high-caste mechs and their busywork jobs, whatever that meant) and met his optics readily. "She's chosen a small alt mode, which means the cockpit will be quite sleek. Unlikely to get in the way."

"Well, we'll see about the alt, too," Starscream muttered. Updraft frowned hard, staring at her datapad, right at the little blueprint of a small, racing jet.

She had guessed that Starscream would make this hard for her, but this was worse than she'd expected. Windward tended to save what Updraft wanted to their blueprint, Updraft having tried to treat her well (something Starscream had, after a session, questioned out loud), but it was Starscream's shanix she was spending. Her carrier hadn't let her forget it. Updraft knew very well he could cancel her upgrade any time, go elsewhere, and pay for the one he deemed best.

"I don't understand," Starscream said, on their way out of another useless session. "This could be all done by now, but for your incessant arguing!" He stared down at her, optics hard. That gaze still made her spark twinge. "Why are you such a difficult child?"

"It's my upgrade," she managed to say. She hated getting on the shuttle alone, to meet Starscream at the reformatting shop for their sessions. "And it's my choice. All the literature-"

"Frag the literature," Starscream snapped. "Yes, yes, it's your choice. I'm letting you keep your red, though you'd look just stunning in that silver, is that not enough? Your sire was difficult, too. Serves me right for baring my spark."

 _It sure does._ Updraft's interest pricked at that, despite Starscream's bad temper—mentions of her sire were ridiculously rare. "I guess them combined with you was always gonna make me difficult."

The sharp smack to her finial was a shock, and she yelped, loud enough for the front desk staff to stare. Starscream, suddenly quiet, hustled her to the shuttle, Updraft's spark ringing as loudly as her audial.

Starscream was a lot of difficult, infuriating things, and over the years Updraft had learned what bothered him, but...he'd never struck her. No matter how angry he was, and _especially_ not over such an offhand comment. Violence was not one of those things of his (not that she saw, anyway). Her fighting him on this upgrade was more stressful to him than she had guessed. The way he glanced around, like he was being hunted, Updraft knew he'd made a mistake.

"You watch your tongue next time," he said finally, his voice nearly a growl. Updraft was left standing at the shuttle doors, hand still over her finial and her spark beating too fast.

Cumulus was her pilot again. He had taken her last trip, too—it was nice to see friendly staff members regularly. He took one look at Updraft as she sat herself down, how she kept reaching up and touching her finial, and seemed to understand.

"Boxed the side of your helm?" She nodded, and Cumulus winced in sympathy. "My mentor liked that one when I was a newbuilt. Don't worry, it doesn't dent."

Updraft only nodded. Now that her spark had stopped pulsing so fast, and Cumulus had shut the cockpit door, she relaxed in her seat, letting her arm fall to her side. Starscream had lost his temper and misstepped. The thoughts of what he might do when she was finally upgraded surfaced, but she ignored them as hard as she could. Remembered, instead, how her carrier had quailed years ago at Skyquake's meaningful threats. Maybe she wouldn't have bring it up—she'd ignored plenty of Starscream's poor choices before.

But Updraft wanted her upgrade. _Her_ upgrade, not Starscream's idea of one.

Starscream bought her a massive bag of sweetsticks before they took the elevator up, warning her not to eat them all in one go. In the next two days, books, polishes and paints addressed to her appeared on her berth, a tag signed by her carrier on all of them. On his way out each day, he wished her a good morning. Once he even patted her shoulder, making Updraft's back go straight in surprise.

Before their next appointment, but long enough for Starscream to think she was placated, she cornered Dreadwing. She told him, over her breakfast, how Starscream had lost his temper.

Updraft had expected the anger, of course. She'd counted on it, with her bodyguard's firmness in keeping her safe from trouble (and trouble, these days, was namely Starscream). Dreadwing's shocked, wild gaze, and the sharp _crack_ of the counter as he gripped it, made Updraft wonder if this had been a mistake.

"He _hit_ you?" Dreadwing repeated. The hand that had just damaged furniture was gentle now, tipping the side of Updraft's head up to search for dents. "Like a drone? Here?"

"He's frustrated about my upgrade," Updraft said quickly. "I think he's sorry he did it." She wanted Starscream to be in trouble—not have his head smashed in. She tried to wriggle out of Dreadwing's grip.

"Sorry," Dreadwing said, grinding out the words, "doesn't cut it, I'm afraid. He's broken his promise not to bring you harm, and for what, a frame?" He vented in deeply, finally stepping back from Updraft. For a split second, before Dreadwing composed himself into calm, she saw why smaller mechs tensed around him.

"Don't do anything stupid," she said quickly. Dreadwing's optics flicked up at her in surprise. "I wouldn't even have told you, but-"

"Has he struck you before?" Dreadwing said, optics flashing. Updraft's tanks clenched.

"No! No, never," she said, reaching out to take one of Dreadwing's huge hands. Maybe it would have been better to wait for Thundercracker. "He shouldn't have done it, but I'm fine, and he's never done it before. Let me explain what happened. Before you get yourself arrested."

He still seemed a little thunderstruck. He finally relaxed his wings, and it was clear he was making an effort to be composed. "Tell me then, little one."

Updraft sighed. She explained, as best she could, the situation with designing her new frame. How it was Starscream's shanix she'd be spending, no matter how much the designer liked her, that he'd have to approve her first steps into adulthood.

"...And _I_ want to decide what I look like," she said finally, her shoulders sagging. Dreadwing, to her relief, had calmed, enough not to interject. He nodded, slowly. "This is my frame for the rest of my life. I don't want to regret it."

Dreadwing nodded, but his optics seemed sad. "I'm afraid that I still don't understand. He still wronged you."

Updraft's spark flickered with disappointment, but she ignored it. "He did. But he's afraid of you, and he's going to be afraid that I'll tell you guys what he did." She allowed herself a smile, and her optics glinted with her mischief. "He got me a huge bag of sweets on our way back the other day. And two books today. But if you know, and he's afraid..." She shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe remembering what he's afraid of, he'll have to approve my choices. I hope?"

Dreadwing looked hard at her. His optics were so bright that Updraft almost shrank back and apologized, for using her predicament to meet her ends. To her relief, Dreadwing's face softened. He smiled.

"Let's hope he doesn't catch on," he said. "Use that processor right, and you'll do well. He deserves a little fear."

Updraft wanted to relax. She found that she couldn't, that her spark still beat too fast.

He and Skyquake didn't take long to act. One night Updraft was lying in her berth, fiddling with possible parts on her upgrade datapad, when the door unlocked and Starscream returned.

She heard the crash, and his yelp, as the twins cornered him. She was sure she'd specified _not_ to harm him, that this wasn't about that, but Dreadwing had been...enraged. He'd frightened her. Maybe he wouldn't listen now that she wasn't here. Jumping off her berth, she pressed her audial to the door. Better that he not think she put them up to this.

Starscream's stilettos scratched against the tile, clearly trying to get his footing. He squawked with indignation, and Updraft could picture her two friends looming, optics bright and cold as they held him down.

"How dare you," Skyquake rumbled, so low that it shivered down Updraft's spinal strut. "How dare you hurt her. Have you been waiting for the chance?"

"Hurt her?!" Starscream said, his voice much too high. "She's my daughter! I would never hurt her!"

"You're a poor liar, Starscream," Dreadwing said. "And you haven't treated her with respect. It is not your upgrade you're meddling in."

A pause. Updraft tried to lean closer to the door.

"Oh," Starscream said, voice lower. "That. Listen, you oafs, I am only trying to do what's best, and her behaviourhas been insufferable-"

" _She_ is not the insufferable one, Starscream," Dreadwing said. "Never forget who it is we serve."

"And never forget," Starscream snapped, "Who pays your salary! I don't fear you two low-caste, good for nothing-"

One of them cracked his knuckles, and Starscream's voice trailed off into a squeak. Updraft felt something odd in her spark. She wondered how often the twins had done this very thing for her carrier, on some other poor sod. Whether they ever enjoyed the work. (She knew what a mercenary was. She had a datanet login now, and had looked it up.)

Their voices grew too low to hear, and Updraft pulled herself back into her berth, optics dim. Had she just gotten her friends fired? The twins had no love for Starscream, but that didn't matter as long as he was paying them, and they could keep close to her.

At some point she'd fallen into recharge, because Starscream was waking her, his hand shaking her shoulder. She started, but it was more out of surprise. If Starscream felt the need to wake her, he was usually a lot screechier than this.

"Get up and get polished, child," he said. "We have an early meeting today. Sudden, I know." He wouldn't look at her, and she looked past him to see Skyquake in the doorway, his arms folded across his broad chest. He winked.

Starscream saw her looking, because he quickly cleared his vocalizer and stood. "Your _bodyguard,_ " he added, nearly spitting the word, "will be joining us today. I trust you hold no objections?"

Updraft stared at him. Before he could ask what was affecting her, she nodded once. "No, Starscream," she said. "Give me a few minutes."

They must have really frightened him if he'd agreed to that. Skyquake flew alongside Starscream, and even in alt mode her carrier was dwarfed. The twins did fly quite well, considering they weren't Vosian. It was rare that Starscream let himself soar alongside mechs outside the trine, unless he needed to impress someone, and this certainly wasn't that.

This session, Skyquake stood behind them, and winked, obviously, at Windward as she sat down across from Updraft. She seemed flustered for the first portion of the session, looking Skyquake's way often, Updraft spared a glance behind her. The corners of his lips barely twitched. Starscream, to her surprise, said nothing.

The session was the best she'd ever had. Starscream's face said everything, but he was quiet as Updraft went through her choices, pointing out to Windward what she liked best. Windward, ignoring Skyquake, got to do her job.

"See, these will rub against each the chassis on this alt," she said, tapping Updraft's choice of shoulders with her stylus. "I'd recommend something more streamlined, like this."

Updraft liked being spoken to as an adult. Not having Starscream interject every so often was even better, and Windward's explanations always made sense. Now that she could do her job, the preliminary blueprints were starting to look like a true frame.

When their time was up, Windward turned, bravely, to Starscream. "This is all to your liking, sir?"

Starscream nodded, though his scowl was comically pronounced. "It'll do," he said. "We'll be back next week, for further discussion."

"Well," Windward said cheerfully, "today we made a _lot_ of progress. I expect only one more session with you will be needed before we actually start construction."

"And then how long?" Updraft asked. She leaned forward eagerly, and ignored Skyquake's snicker. "Will we have to wait awhile for it to be ready?"

Windward smiled at her. "Next week we'll settle on a deadline. But, no, not long. A couple of months."

Updraft bit her lip, instead of saying _that_ is _long!_ Instead, she shook hands with Windward, and thanked her politely for her work today—a response that would have made Thundercracker proud. She wished she could see Skyquake's face, because Windward's smile had gone flustered, her faceplates flushed.

"Well?" Skyquake asked, on their way out. His hand rested on her helm. "Are you getting what you want?"

Updraft glanced up at Starscream, walking quickly ahead so he could fly off. She nodded, twisting up to look at him. "I think so," she said, even as she narrowed her optics. "How did you get him to do that?"

Skyquake grinned, leaning closer. "A little blackmail, a little physical threat," he said. "All part of the job, to be honest."

Updraft's tanks shifted. The discomfort, that had twisted in her since telling Dreadwing what had happened, settled deeper in her tanks. "I don't want to blackmail people," she said quietly. "Not even him. He's my carrier."

Skyquake patted the top of her head, before pulling his hand back. "It was not your decision," he said, voice still low. "You'll have to live in that frame. _That_ should be your choice. Feeling guilty about it makes you better than us, _and_ him."

"You know what else is a choice?" Updraft asked him. Her optics glinted, as Skyquake raised a brow. "Asking out pretty frame designers."

Skyquake, in faked embarrassment, pulled his hand off her head and stomped a few steps forward. "I'll send your brother all the details!" she promised, and Skyquake shook his head at her, clearly trying to hide his grin.

"Cheeky little bit," he said. Updraft grinned, as sweet as could be as she left for the shuttle. (And caught herself matching up the Taxonomy in her head. Could a Vosian designer date a Kaonian worker?Certainly not, but it was all in fun.)

The next week, as prices were negotiated and her blueprints were finalized, Thundercracker joined them. If he knew about what had happened, he said nothing about it to either of them, and sat quietly as Windward went over the design one last time.

"Here it is with colour," she said, and Updraft suppressed her gasp. Daring a glance at Thundercracker ( _not_ Starscream), she saw how bright his optics had gotten as he stared.

"I can't wait to see it," Updraft said softly. Windward shut the colour back off.

"You'll see it in the mirror, when you wake up," she said. "It's a bit less surreal if you don't see your frame from your old one."

"The gold is..." Starscream began, until he felt all optics on him. "It's quite _vivid,_ wouldn't you say?"

"I like it," Updraft said firmly. "It goes with all the red."

"I agree, sir," Thundercracker said, surprising her. "She'll be very striking." He had a quick smile, just for Updraft, and she tried not to grin. "You really are growing up."

There was more to get through, and Updraft worked hard to pay attention. Scheduling, costs, additional fees...she spent most of it watching Starscream run his gauntlet of annoyed faces, and Thundercracker dealt with the busy work. Slowly, Starscream signed his name on the final documents, and Updraft watched him form each careful glyph. Now they'd be starting construction. He couldn't change his mind.

Thundercracker signed as well, as a witness, and finally Updraft added her name. She felt very grown-up, and was sure that if someone hadn't known, they wouldn't have been able to tell her sparklet's writing from the adult's.

Windward showed before she left, with the wall, how tall she would be in her new frame. When Thundercracker saw, Updraft caught him hiding his smirk. Starscream's trine weren't exactly bruisers, but Updraft's chosen alt would bring her barely chest-height to them.

"Every shape serves a purpose," Thundercracker said. "I'm looking forward to seeing her top speed."

Updraft's systems hummed just at the thought of having a _top speed._ The whole way home, she watched jets go by. Even her first words, as a newspark, had been about beautiful flying bots, and soon she'd get to join them. Maybe even outstrip them as they zoomed by, the fastest femme in Vos.

The next two months passed slowly. Updraft tried to do extra homework to fill the time, and succeeded only in falling behind. Thundercracker shook his head at her efforts.

"You're distracted," he told her. "Don't waste both our time." Embarrassed, she scribbled through her last extra essays and started sitting out on the balcony instead. Curled up with a book, she could think about flying away too, watching traffic go past. She was no longer locked off the balcony, or the roof—in fact, they encouraged her to get some air.

"Think about the wind direction," Skywarp said. Even he was serious about this. "And the lighting at different times of day. People's flightpaths—stuff like that'll get you thinking about it."

As if she didn't already think about flying all the time. Still, she listened, and felt..and leaned a little too far over the balcony, if no one was home.

Starscream found a doctor, one who specialized in transfers to new frames, and Updraft found herself nervous. He was an old mech, experienced, but with overlarge brows and a stern face. She swallowed her nerves, and listened as he discussed the procedure and recovery. A date was set. Updraft counted down the kliks.

Everyone seemed to want a good look at her when it got close. Starscream didn't send the twins anywhere that whole week. Even more surprising was that he didn't take his trine out on business, letting them come and go as they pleased to see Updraft. Even a few of the neighbours, bots she hardly knew, stopped in to wish her well in her spark transfer. She hadn't even realized they knew her name.

Thundercracker fretted. "Maybe we should wait?" he said, his hand on Updraft's helm. He had been making a lot of contact—maybe to try and remember the old frame better. "With her health, and her age...she could wait a few more months."

"The doctor said my SRD will be better," Updraft said. All this attention felt odd, and pressed uncomfortably against her excitement. It was like a going-away party. "Not _gone,_ but better. The new systems will root out a lot of it. So you won't have to worry."

It hadn't flared up in years, not since that crystal-dust storm had blown open the screen door and made her purge on the floor. Thundercracker smiled down at her, his optics soft.

"I'll always worry about you," he said. "That won't change, even when you can fly off on your own."

"Not on her own!" Skywarp piped up. He was on the other side of the room, a camera snapping endless photos before Updraft made her change. He flashed his wide grin. "She'll need a spotter until free flight is approved. Which...shouldn't take long, I guess, Starscream got his license in about a week."

"Not if you've rubbed off on her," Thundercracker said. "It took _you_ three months."

"In Kaon," Skyquake said, "you don't need a license _._ "

"That's 'cause Kaonians fly about as well as a turbofox," Skywarp said, not missing a beat. "A turbofox someone dropped off a cliff."

Dreadwing opened his mouth to shut them up, but Updraft got there first. "It's my last day," she said quickly, causing them all to look her way. "Be nice."

Dreadwing smiled his approval, and Updraft grinned back. For her last while as a sparklet, she deserved a little peace.

Not that it lasted. She had just settled on the couch, wishing she could eat something before the transfer, when Starscream returned to collect all of them.

"It would be _nice_ if it could only be myself and _my_ daughter," he said, loud enough for everyone to hear as they filed out. Updraft was last to pass him, and tipped her chin up to meet his optics.

"No, it wouldn't," she said. Starscream growled, but said nothing else as he followed her out. She had tried not laugh at five Seekers, two of them twice the size of the others, stuffed into one small shuttle. Cumulus waved at her from the cockpit, and despite Thundercracker's stare she waved right back.

She'd be going home on her own wings, after all. This might be the last time she saw him.

It was family-only up to the operating room (something Updraft disagreed with—her family would be waiting down here, too). People in the waiting room stared at their little procession—but this was sort of a last goodbye, right? In the spotless waiting room of a private clinic, where she would go under a sparklet and wake up a Seeker.

Skyquake picked her right off the ground to hug her, making her yelp, but his smile was a lot more like Dreadwing's than usual. He'd never been good at hiding what he felt, even when Updraft had been small. She could still remember him trying to laugh against Starscream's wall. Dreadwing crouched down instead, and the way he enveloped her Updraft was glad she wouldn't be put into a frame too big to be held.

"Brave girl," he murmured into her audial. "I will still protect you."

Updraft's spark flickered. She smiled, rushing for Skywarp so she wouldn't cry instead. This wasn't really goodbye, after all—only a big step. An enormous step.

Skywarp squeezed her hard enough to make her squeak. His grin would be the same when she walked out as it was right this second, but it didn't keep her from memorizing how he looked, in this moment. "I'm proud of you," he said. "Can't believe it. You're gonna be all grown up."

Thundercracker said nothing, but all that meant was he probably couldn't even speak. She hugged him extra tight.

"Off we go, then," Starscream said, when Updraft finally stepped back. He was looking at his subordinates with annoyance, and Updraft almost stopped right there. Surely at least the trine could come up with her, if she made enough of a fuss.

In the end, after a last glance at the mechs she loved, she followed Starscream away. She was too old for that now. When she woke up tomorrow, making a fuss would not be received the same way.

Starscream rested a hand, awkwardly, on one winglet as they waited. The doctor was a little late, and the waiting made Updraft even more antsy than she would have been. She thought about scooting away from Starscream, but decided against it.

"I've been reading up," her carrier said finally, surprising her. "About what one does when their offspring has taken this step. We'll debut your frame at the next big function."

"A debut?" That meant being shown off. High society would meet her as an adult—though she couldn't imagine she'd feel like one, right off the bat. "Not right away, I hope. I want to make sure I know how to land without crashing first."

Starscream huffed. "Of course not. We'll get you your free flight license first, or no one will think twice about you." He gave her winglet a brief pat, before pulling back his hand. "Make me proud, once you have those wings. They weren't cheap."

To Updraft's relief, the doctor finally arrived. The stern old Seeker, who still made Updraft nervous—but had explained exactly what would go on, and whose fingers moved fast over his work. He had probably been doing this since before Starscream was even forged. At her carrier's nod, she followed him in. The door closed behind them.

The nurse who helped her onto the berth was friendly, and gentle, but Updraft almost didn't hear him over the thrumming in her spark. For the first time in years, she was reminded of _her_ old nurse, from when she was a baby. It felt odd to want him now, about to grow up.

"We used to roll patients in on the stretcher," he said, "but I think it's better if you walk in on your old feet and leave on your new ones."

Updraft nodded, barely hearing him. She couldn't see her new frame (was that it? Under that sheet?) but she thought about how this would be the very last time she lay down in this body. The last time she looked at the world through these optics.

There was a jab in her arm, and the cheerful nurse asked her to count down from one hundred. At ninety-five, she imagined her wings. At ninety-one, she was out.

* * *

Skywarp had sat down at first, next to Thundercracker, across from the Kaonians. Then he'd paced, then gotten energon, then gotten energon for _everyone,_ and then hadn't stopped talking until Skyquake had promised he'd make him. When he'd heard that, he'd simply started teleporting and seen if he could make someone jump. Thundercracker, twice. Skyquake, once, plus two instances of being chased outside. Dreadwing didn't budge, but apologized for all of them when a nurse threatened to call security.

"My head aches," he moaned. Updraft wasn't here to be to be the child, which gave Skywarp free reign. Beside him, Thundercracker shook his head.

"Your head is on the floor," he said, tapping Skywarp's thigh. "The energon's rushing to it."

"I think better this way," Skywarp protested. The mech behind the counter glared at him, as he pressed his feet against the wall.

"You don't think at all," Dreadwing said flatly. Skyquake covered his mouth to hide his snicker—Thundercracker grumbled, and Skywarp finally pulled himself upright.

"They'll kick us all out if you don't behave," Thundercracker said. "I'm sure you can handle another couple of hours."

He could, if he really tried. The anxiety about Updraft was making it difficult, but even Skywarp could sit for a Senate session if Thundercracker kicked him under the table. In the end, he offlined his optics and tried to nap. Leaning on his conjux's shoulder was nice, even in public, even on a hard day.

Thundercracker jumping up jolted him awake, and he almost teleported in his surprise.

"She okay?" he asked groggily, jumping up beside TC. "Is she all done?" Dreadwing and Skyquake, the sorry fraggers, had stood up fluidly, apparently quite calm.

The smallest Seeker he had ever seen looked a little overwhelmed, with four pairs of optics on him. "The Air Commander sent me to get you," he said quickly, taking one step back. "The spark transfer was a complete success. She's just walking out now."

Skywarp grinned, wide and delighted, and for a split second Thundercracker did too. He nodded towards the hall, and his hand rested on Skywarp's arm. A warm, electric excitement filled his spark as he strode forwards, after the nurse, well ahead of Dreadwing and Skyquake.

He wasn't much for hospitals, not since his extended stint in an Iacon CR chamber. This was different, though, a private clinic that did only upgrades, that had done nothing but good things for Updraft. He scanned the hallway carefully, ignoring each staff member in favour of...

"There," Thundercracker said quietly. His grip, gentle on Skywarp's arm, tightened on reflex. Starscream was just ahead as they turned the corner, speaking in a low voice to the old doctor.

There was a small femme between them, one hand on the doctor's arm to steady her steps. Skywarp found himself looking for Updraft, behind her—where was the little bit?

Skywarp remembered why they were here. He wouldn't be seeing that sparklet again. Updraft—this new Updraft, met his optics and waved, grinning tiredly. Skywarp felt welded to the ground.

She was stunning.

She was small, yes—shorter than Starscream, but still lithe and sleek. A Seeker in every sense. Skywarp had seen the blueprints, but they had showed nothing of how she would come to life, how her spark would illuminate this new form. The red colour she wore now was deeper, just a little more grown up, the rest of her plating slate-grey. Darker than the standard for a face, but being a little unique suited her. He wondered when Starscream had agreed to the gold accents, when he's been so set on silver.

"What are you looking at?" a voice said. Of course—that had changed too, and he'd have to get used to it. The glittering optics, and the grin that followed, were the same as ever. He'd seen those at a Vosian party a long time ago. Skywarp relaxed, and grinned right back.

"You!" he said. He threw out his arms, just to drive it home. "Look at you! You're the prettiest newbuilt this side of Cybertron!"

Updraft ducked her head, still grinning, letting go of the doctor's arm. Her steps were still unsteady, her new wings flared out wide to keep her balance. Skywarp had done that too, when he was first forged. Hers were good for balance, wider and shorter than Starscream's own. They suited the little frame. And Starscream knew it, judging by how his optics were glued to his daughter. He'd fought against pretty much everything that had come together here, and Skywarp wondered if he'd admit how wrong he'd been.

Dreadwing said something behind him, something rough and Kaonian that must have been affectionate, because Updraft ducked her head again shyly. (When had she learned to navigate that accent? Skywarp certainly couldn't.)

The old doctor took Starscream aside, pushing datapads into his hands on newbuilts and post-spark transfer care. Skywarp saw Thundercracker lean over, to make sure he heard all of it, too. Starscream had better not skimp—Updraft might be upgraded, but she still needed help to navigate the world. The trine wasn't going it alone.

Updraft rested her new fingers on his arm. Long and sleek, sharpened to lovely points. Skywarp forgot about Starscream and turned to her. "How do you feel?"

"Tired," she said. That new voice suited her, too. Not soft, but it wouldn't shriek its way through life like her carrier's. "My steps are still wobbly."

"That's why you get to spend another night here," Skywarp said. "We can't have your first flight back home in a shuttle."

Updraft's optics lit up, and her new wings perked with joy. "I can't wait. This feels right." Just to prove it, she twitched her new equipment, visibly thrilled with the control.

Thundercracker took his arm, gesturing to a private room, and everyone but Starscream managed to squeeze in. Updraft didn't seem all that bothered by his bailing ("he says he has stuff for me"), and had no trouble sitting up.

"I'm proud of you guys," she said, her optics teasing. "Nobody got kicked out while I was recovering? Not once?"

"I came pretty close," Skywarp said proudly. She laughed, and he was glad to see it was just as easy to cause it.

He got a better look at her, as Thundercracker ran her through simple exercises. A little wingspeak, stretching the arms, curling the fingers. Updraft had red, vivid biolights running down her midsection, and one beneath each wing. Probably more that Skywarp wasn't seeing, certainly more than any of them. Those were considered quite attractive, and Starscream would regret them as soon as young bots came calling. They pulsed with her every movement. Newly-settled sparks did that, Thundercracker had said. She needed time to adjust.

"I was sure you'd be a little bigger," Skyquake said. "I seem to recall a a little bot who swore she'd be taller than me."

Updraft grinned at him, and shrugged. "Well, the alt I wanted is small. So _I'm_ small. But," she added, optics bright. "I'm faster than you."

Skyquake grinned back, relaxed in a way Skywarp rarely saw. The Kaonians usually kept it together around the rest of them. "We'll see, little one. Your first flight won't be top speed."

"We'll see about that."

"We won't," Thundercracker said sternly. "It's an important occasion, your first flight. Not a race."

"Yeah, yeah," Updraft said. Her wings twitched, clearly excited. "You only told me a hundred times about it."

"Shame we won't get to see it," Dreadwing said. He was frowning, something Skywarp was surprised he could manage with how Updraft was lighting up the room. "We'll be in...Tesarus, I believe."

"I guess it's Vosian stuff," Updraft said. "I'm glad you're here for now." There was an edge to her voice that meant she wasn't all that happy about her friends being away, but Skywarp was relieved. The first flight _was_ a Vosian thing, something that should only be seen by Vosians. High-up ones, preferably, not the sort of people Updraft had found to be her bodyguards.

Maybe—ideally—Starscream would fire them soon. Updraft would have her free flight license in no time, and that would mean she could come and go as she pleased. Within reason, anyway. There was plenty of boring stuff to learn about being a good aristocrat. Skywarp hoped she wouldn't ask him for help.

Those were hopes that wouldn't be said out loud. Not in front of Updraft. She was clearly thrilled, to be the centre of attention, but also to have the four of them together. For her sake, they'd probably keep up the good behaviour.

Starscream returned after some time, and Skywarp tried to remember when he'd last seen him all smiles. It clearly made Updraft a bit unsettled, and Skywarp snuck an arm around her as Starscream re-examined her new frame.

"You two," Starscream said, snapping his fingers at Dreadwing and Skyquake. "Outside. Do that guard duty I hired you for."

Skyquake looked ready to growl about this, but the sharp incline of Dreadwing's head towards Updraft seemed to shut him up. Their charge's smile was apologetic, and once the door had shut behind them, she frowned.

"I don't like when you send them away," she said. Amazingly, Starscream's smile didn't falter, as he thumbed a speck of dust from her armour.

"I know, dear child," he said. "But soon you'll be your own Seeker. You'll have to take on a more professional standing with our employees."

Updraft didn't argue, even as Thundercracker nodded in agreement, but it was clear she wanted to. Instead she pulled out a grin, looking Starscream's way. "The gold accents look nice, don't they? I don't think it's too much at all."

Starscream puffed up, and grumbled something, so Skywarp patted her shoulder. "You can design my next mod, too," he said. "Seriously, you've got fashion sense."

Updraft beamed, and Thundercracker rolled his optics their way. Skywarp grinned, and leaned in anyway to nudge Updraft's side. She winked one optic at him. It was nice to see that they wouldn't lose their sparklet.

* * *

They talked late into the evening. Starscream said little, but hovered over Updraft, constantly watching the twitch of her new wings or the way her optics brightened.

"It's time you recharged," he said eventually, pushing lightly against her shoulder. His wingtips were held high and pleased. "Rest that frame for your flight."

Updraft tensed, but her carrier didn't seem to notice it as she pulled back slowly, laying against the berth. He'd never before shown this kind of concern—it hadn't been lost on her how he stared at her new frame, how he'd strutted beside her as clinic staff stopped to look. It was as if he was seeing her for the first time.

Maybe he was. A sparklet couldn't fly, couldn't make herself useful in all the ways Starscream needed. A beautiful newbuilt femme was a whole other thing, especially one attached to him by spark. She let Skywarp throw a thermoblanket over her, though this new frame seemed to have no issue regulating temperature.

"Proud of you," Skywarp whispered, loudly, from the doorway. Thundercracker hushed him, but his optics were bright in the darkened room, watching Updraft as he shut the door softly.

She lay awake for awhile. The blanket was kicked to the floor, and she found it hard to get comfortable the way she'd used to. The wings only felt comfortable if she lay them flat beneath her, or if she got on her front...but she had tended to recharge on her side, a position that squeezed her wings uncomfortably. She wondered if the newly forged had these same problems, and imagined a young Starscream, wiggling with discomfort just the way she was.

She would have to watch out for Starscream. He was kind to her now, clearly satisfied with how the upgrade had come together. Her first flight excited him, and Updraft knew she would be shown off to those who caught sight of it. It settled an unease in the bottom of her tanks. Passing below his notice had become the norm, after all, with his trine and her bodyguards to give her attention.

Post-transfer exhaustion finally caught up to her. When Updraft woke, there was sun streaming in through the window, and her chronometer told her it was well into the day.

 _Guess who's got wings!_ She sent out, to the only person she commed regularly anyway. Smokescreen would open her message when he was done for the day, and he would be so excited for him. He'd sent Updraft a picture of him in his new frame—tall, broad at the shoulders, with a charming imitation of wings on his back where his alt's doors settled. He had already enrolled in the Elite Guard Academy, and had wasted no time telling her all about it.

 _Now you and I are on equal footing._ She'd sulked with jealousy at first over his upgrade, until the others had started to notice. Updraft pulled herself upright, slowly, careful of getting her balance as she set down her feet.

When she caught sight of her reflection, in the room's long mirror, she took another moment to look at herself. How the new deep, slate grey of her face made her optics seem brighter. When she held her hand over her slim waist, the biolights cast a glow onto her fingers. Her wings twitched, and their every movement distracted her. Her thrusters seemed to hum with energy. It seemed like they were itching to get off the ground as much as Updraft, intent on telling her it was time to go. Be patient, she told herself.

She smiled at herself. Her new reflection was beautiful, more than she could have dreamed of having. If Dreadwing had seen her this way, preening and turning to see how she caught the light, he might have scolded her for her vanity, but it was only her first morning as a Seeker. She had every right to a closer look.

The washrack was a little bare, smaller than at home (it was hard not to bump her wings against the sides) but Updraft took great care cleaning all her armour. It was slow going, with how much more she now had to wash and her wingtips out of reach, but she managed. Everything had to be right today, after all.

When Skywarp saw her later, he laughed, energon cubes balanced in one arm. "You didn't leave much for us to do!" he said, examining her new coat of polish as he set breakfast down.

"She _is_ experienced," Starscream noted, frowning. He raised a brow as he pace around her. "Primus knows my water bill was high enough on her old frame."

"You don't pay for the water here," Updraft said. She had turned to Thundercracker, in an effort to see what he was pulling out of a large bag.

Thundercracker noticed, and tipped it—enough to reveal a beautiful, _expensive_ set of new polishes, of all kinds and with every detailing tool. Updraft nearly squealed as she stepped over, intent on getting a closer look.

"A Seeker needs a full set," he said. Adult or not, he still tapped between Updraft's brows, as he'd always done, and smiled. "Skywarp and I thought we'd get it as an upgrade gift."

"I guess we won't have to use them _all,_ " Skywarp said, grinning as he tilted his head, "but we do get to detail you."

Updraft was almost tempted to wash again, to make excuses so she could use her beautiful new set. They were right, though. She hadn't left much to do.

It wasn't the only thing on her mind, either. As Thundercracker laid out the detailing brushes, and Starscream fussed over which was best, she found herself looking towards the door, past them. She had already known Dreadwing and Skyquake would be going to Tesarus, but remembering that they wouldn't be here to see her fly...well. There was nothing to be done about it. Her feelings or not, she'd have to act the good Vosian today, and the result would be worth the trouble. Starscream's trine were downright cheerful, in perfect teamwork. A nice thing to see.

Smokescreen pinged her, and she set it aside. She would get back to him when they were home, and she was resting again. For now, she drank her fuel and watched Starscream measure out paints, his optics narrow in concentration.

"I thought you weren't superstitious, TC?" Skywarp said, from his perch on the windowsill. Updraft turned back to Thundercracker, who was carefully loosening every drawer in the room, opening every cupboard just slightly.

"That's for a smooth flight, right?" Updraft said."So the air will rush into all parts of the room. Skywarp's right. That's just an old flier's tale."

"It is indeed," Thundercracker said, frowning. Still, he didn't stop. "Glad you've studied your Vosian myths."

They all took time polishing her up, and Updraft tried hard not to wriggle. This must have been what it was like to have a trine—a _good_ trine, a true company of three who looked after each other. Starscream would often fuss, and "touch up" points that he thought the others had detailed poorly. They were slow, and it took ages, but she had to look right. This was important.

She somehow looked even prettier when they finished, and she beamed at herself in the mirror. "A properly vain Vosian," Skywarp said. Updraft reached out and flicked his shoulder. With a _crack,_ he teleported back to the berth, where he could sit and get a better look.

"Out of the way," Starscream snapped to Thundercracker, who patiently stepped aside. "And you," he said to Updraft. "Stop leaning over like that. You won't get to see them anyway."

"Did you ask Thundercracker what you'll write?" Skywarp said from behind her. She could see his optics glittering in the mirror. Starscream shifted, crouching down and just out of view behind her wings. "You're not the most poetic, y'know."

Updraft's spark thrummed. Only adult, flying Seekers got their glyphs, and only on very special occasions. They were _important,_ and people might see them as she flew. What if Starscream wrote them poorly? She considered asking Thundercracker to do it instead.

"Shut up," Starscream said. "Of course I thought about what to write, and I don't need _your_ help, but...yes. Thundercracker and I discussed something suitable."

In the mirror, Thundercracker smiled, and Updraft relaxed. She barely felt the old, flowery Vosian being printed, and at least she could be sure Starscream's penmanship was beautiful. It took a long time, and by the time he was done Updraft was stiff from standing.

"Lovely," Thundercracker said. He meant it. "It suits her."

Starscream huffed. "It'll do," he said. He couldn't dampen Updraft's mood, not when she looked so beautiful and grown up, and when it was so clear from his face he didn't mean it.

The friendly nurse from her surgery wished her well as they left, and Updraft's smile became more shy. Skywarp's grin seemed to light up the whole clinic, and she could almost feel the pride radiating off Thundercracker next to her. Starscream strutted ahead, and seemed to puff up whenever a head turned and they realized that this was the _Air Commander's_ child on her way out.

The shyness, mixed with the pride of feeling beautiful and grown-up, was a difficult combination. Once she had stepped out into the shuttle bay, though, the nerves started to melt off. There was no way to describe that feeling of a breeze on your wingtips. The sky was clear, the day was warm, because they had timed her upgrade for the best flying season. It seemed to call her— _Updraft, Updraft, come on out!_ She didn't think about it. Stepping forward, she felt her transformation cog warm, settled in her chest—

—and Thundercracker's hand on her shoulder, pausing her. He grinned, because he understood. "Easy," he said. He nodded Starscream's way, steps ahead of them. "Your carrier will go first, then you'll stay in his slipstream. Just to start," he added, when he saw her face fall. "We'll be right behind you."

"First," Skywarp added, peering over her shoulder, "transform once. Give that cog a stretch." He tapped her chest, optics blinking bright at her. "If you fall out of the sky, well, that's a bad time."

Updraft almost didn't care. If she crashed, at least she'd die flying. Still not an ideal outcome, so she glanced at Starscream, who was tapping his foot impatiently. He nodded.

"It's the easiest thing ever," Skywarp assured her. He held out his hands. "You won't even think about it after the first few times."

Thundercracker nodded. He pulled Skywarp back another step.

Updraft nodded, and straightened up. Just like walking. It was what their race had been forged to do, after all, so she just...thought about transforming.

The burst of parts, the feeling of _folding up,_ couldn't be described, but it was over so fast and so painlessly that she almost didn't notice she was a jet. Suddenly lower to the ground, and without limbs, but Skywarp clapped, and Starscream folded his arms. He almost, _almost_ smiled.

"That'll do, too," he said. He was already turning towards the hangar's edge. "Now, back up. You'll leap off the edge in root mode."

Updraft had transformed back up in a second, and she wobbled. Thundercracker steadied her arm, his optics narrowed.

"Maybe a take-off would be best, sir?" He was watching Starscream disapprovingly. "From her jet mode?"

Starscream waved his hand, standing at the hangar's edge. "If we could do it, she can, too. Come, Updraft. On Thundercracker's signal."

Then he was gone, transforming gracefully in the air and starting a lazy lap around the building. Updraft had never before had the chance to follow him.

Skywarp tapped the tip of her wing. His smile had gone more serious, and that made her spark jump.

"We'll be right behind you," he said. "Nothing bad's happening. Go on."

Updraft had waited long enough. With determined steps, too confident to falter, she strode up to the edge of the hangar...and broke into a run, so she could leap. She heard Thundercracker yelp, but the rush of freefall and the wind in her audials blocked him out. She transformed, thrusters roaring.

And flew.

As if she'd done this a thousand times, and wouldn't have been suicide just two days ago. She raced forward, a laugh bubbling up in her vocalizer just as her comm crackled to life.

 _Already cutting it close!_ Skywarp called to her, already gliding next to her. _Did you hear Thundercracker shriek?_

 _Very Starscreamy,_ she agreed, as the jet in question came up to her other side. Starscream swooped in then, turning sharply a good distance ahead. Updraft followed easily, turning her body on the currents. She was sure she could do this on her own, but did what Thundercracker had asked anyway and settled in Starscream's wake.

Starscream had not been privy to her earlier comms, and rarely messaged Updraft outside necessity. _Very good,_ he said, and Updraft felt warmed by the praise. He really did fly well. _Home isn't far by flight, but we'll go slow._

On another line, Thundercracker scolded. _That was rash! Very dangerous!_

 _Any child of mine knows to take what they want,_ Starscream snapped. He turned again, more slowly, and Updraft thought she'd followed almost as well as his trine. _First and foremost for the taking: the sky._

Starscream endorsing her was new. She'd worry about that later, after the excitement had ebbed out of her systems and she was on the ground. If she ever chose to touch down again, anyway. Updraft sent more power to her thrusters in a burst of speed, overtaking Starscream easily.

 _Watch out!_ Thundercracker was already beside her, Skywarp on her other side, and she rose with them. _Soon we'll hit traffic!_

That would be a challenge—but already Starscream was ahead of her, clearing the way. Her comm crackled with new signatures, those flying past who had seen the glyphs on her wings and how carefully she was attended to. _Congratulations!_ they said. _Welcome to the sky, Seeker!_

How did they know? They must have all had a first flight too. She thanked them, and picked up speed again. They passed through a low-lying cloud, and Updraft felt no fear as her visuals were clouded, as the water rolled over her wings.

There could be nothing frightening up here. Not from the sky, not from growing up...not from Starscream. Air on all sides, thrusters roaring, was where she belonged.


	9. Chapter 9

_It's only been a couple weeks since the last chapter, because a bunch of this was actually supposed to be in chapter 8! Predictably, things got too long, so it became part of chapter 9 instead. Some exciting stuff is going to happen, and a big reveal. I hope you guys enjoy, and as always THANK YOU for reading and reviewing!_

* * *

Things moved fast after upgrade.

Thundercracker told her that the older you got, the more quickly time passed, but Updraft didn't think that that was why her life suddenly became a blur.

"Wake up!" Starscream said gleefully, a week after her first flight. Updraft threw a hand over her face, trying to keep the light out where he'd thrown open her blinds. "You have a big day today, my dear."

She sat up, annoyed by Starscream's presence in her room and about to send him out. When she saw Skywarp and Thundercracker in the doorway, and Skywarp's apologetic smile, she braced herself.

Starscream toured her around Vos's government buildings and hangars—little of what she was saw seemed very interesting. Now that she was a fully-built Cybertronian, he seemed to have taken it upon himself to show the city his offspring. Young, pretty and full of potential (so shethought, and Starscream actually seemed to agree), it was apparently no longer necessary to hide her at home.

"So this is Updraft," the bots would say, optics raking over her. She wondered, spark flickering at the thought, what Starscream had told them about her. "Such a striking frame."

At first the attention was a little flattering—she answered their questions politely, and smiled, as her carrier beamed next to her and Thundercracker messaged her praise.

 _Like a true Vosian,_ he said, and then Updraft beamed too.

After the third person who leered at her biolights, whose optics lingered on her torso and wings, the attention became less fun. Starscream did his business cheerfully, as if he hadn't even noticed, but his trine hustled her away from those offices as quickly as they could.

"Being beautiful can be pricey," Skywarp whispered. "They should know better than to stare."

They should have, but people _should have_ done a lot of things. It took real effort to stand straight and proud, when she caught on to the nature of their stares.

She tried to listen in every meeting Starscream took her to, though much of it was dry, and many of their focuses turned to her. The elite of Vos always seemed relieved to see Starscream so cheerful, and Updraft supposed that at least she made him easier to deal with. Vos's governing bodies ought to thank her

They got home late, and she couldn't study long before her optics started to blink out. She pulled herself into her berth, and recharged deeply.

The next day, it happened again. And the next. Up early, wash, fly (learn maneuvers, scare TC and delight Skywarp), job shadow the Air Commander. A break in the monotony came when she got her free flight license. Only Skywarp came with her, to her surprise, but it was a relief to not have Starscream's optics on her, judging every move she made. The test was embarrassingly easy, especially with Skywarp's cheering, but afterwards the official was smiling.

"One week since upgrade?" he said, and she nodded. "Maybe one in a thousand get theirs that quickly."

"Are you really surprised?" Skywarp said, patting her shoulder. "She's got the Air Commander's spark in her."

He bought them a huge plate of energon goodies in celebration, in a nice place overlooking a flightpath. It was delicious, but Updraft's tanks churned, and she ended up taking the rest of it home.

Still, the license was a good thing to have. A lap around the neighbourhood, alone, did wonders for her well-being after a long day chasing her carrier, and she started to consider it the highlight of her day.

She had been most nervous about visiting the Vosian Senate. One of the governing bodies with much more power than Starscream and his fleet, it would be bad for _all_ of them if she misstepped. It turned out that she shouldn't have been worried—she got to sit in the viewing chamber with Skywarp and Thundercracker, while Starscream oversaw the proceedings below. She tried to listen well, though a nap, in this dimmed room, was tempting. Skywarp had to be poked awake twice.

"How's upgrade treating you?" Thundercracker asked her during Skywarp's second snooze. She tried to smile, but her wings slumped. They were a dead giveaway now, to how she was feeling. Thundercracker smiled in sympathy.

"It'll get easier," he said. It sounded like he meant it. "Once you're at the Academy, you'll only have to deal with him on weekends."

Updraft tried to be reassured. It didn't work, and she had to pretend she wasn't sulking through the rest of the day. Overnight Starscream's presence had become near-constant, his whims dictating where she'd go and what she'd do. Skywarp and Thundercracker's obvious pleasure at her presence only helped little, and that made her feel guilty. She dreaded each morning, even with the promise of flying and maneuvers.

The workdays were nothing next to the parties.

She had already been dreading these, knowing exactly what they entailed. When she had been very young, Skywarp had found her and the apartment parties had abruptly stopped, but the noise and smell of engex had never really left her.

"She's still so young," Thundercracker said to Starscream one night. Updraft, downing a cube of fuel in the next room, pressed herself right against the wall to listen. "She'll start going to these school, with bots her age."

"Nonsense," Starscream said. "She's entirely ready for it—and she deserves a little fun, don't you agree?'

Updraft made a face. The rest of her fuel was dumped into the sink.

It could have been worse—Updraft found that she was still an expert at pressing against a wall and getting out of the way. With a drink in her hand (provided by Thundercracker, and guaranteed safe), she would find a quiet place, and contact Smokescreen. It never took long for Starscream and Skywarp to get too drunk to notice her.

 _Enjoy the party!_ Smokescreen told her. _Just dance and stuff. I do it all the time with my friends._

 _They're mostly my carrier's age,_ Updraft replied. _And it's just the memories it brings me. When I was little they'd party in the apartment and I was stuck by myself._

 _Well,_ Smokescreen said. _Now you've got me._

Updraft tried not to smile, in case someone half-sober noticed. _Thank Primus for long-distance comms._

Smokescreen was real. She had met him once, and they had talked often ever since, over a comm frequency snatched for her by luck. Still, comms were not the same as real, present people, and sometimes she wondered if this was more like having an imaginary frien. Maybe next time Starscream went to Iacon, she could carve out a visit. Whenever that might be.

Thundercracker never made her help get the others home, late at night. "You need your rest," he said firmly, a Seeker supported on either side of him. "It's not your job to babysit them."

He was right, but early on those mornings she'd still check on Starscream, wherever Thundercracker had left him, and comm Skywarp. Y _ou finally drink yourself to death?_

 _Brat,_ he'd reply, on his way to the apartment. _You're starting to sound like TC._

She didn't see much of the twins now, and that hurt. Without her needing observation, they were being sent on long term missions, to Iacon and Protihex and beyond. The weeks began to bleed into one another, full of parties and work, and their firm presences couldn't be filled with all the meetings in the world. The occasional long-distance comm of acknowledgment, that they were still alive, did help. But it wasn't the same

When they did come back, it was on a rare day at home. Starscream was still napping off his last drinking binge, and Updraft had settled in with music and her school applications. She was supposed to apply to lots of schools, planet-wide, though everyone knew where she'd be going. She had gotten so focused on this that an unfamiliar tap made her jump.

"Primus!" Skyquake said, laughter in his voice. "Have they ever made you skittish!"

Updraft shrieked, barely shoving the datapad aside as she leaped up to greet him. His familiar grin, and the sound of Dreadwing locking up behind him, were the most welcome distraction she'd ever had. "I missed you! You've been gone _forever!_ "

"You've learned to exaggerate," Dreadwing said. There was a smile in his voice. "How we missed you, little one. Our apologies for our distance."

She still had her arms wrapped around one of Dreadwing's when Starscream appeared, grumbling and rubbing one optic.

"What's all this?" he growled, and Updraft's spark went cold again. Letting go of Dreadwing, she straightened back up. Before her upgrade, she would have ignored him completely.

"Just saying hello," she said. "It's been awhile since I got to see my bodyguards."

Starscream's optics narrowed. "You're too old for such displays now," he said. "And you two. I thought you weren't to come here any more?"

"Since when?" Updraft said, surprised.

"Since your upgrade, of course," Starscream snapped. "You can properly care for yourself now, which means these two have no need for babysitting."

"I'm not so sure," Skyquake said calmly. "I've found I rather enjoyed the gig. Perhaps I'll look through the job listings to see who needs a sparklet nurse."

Updraft had to stifle her laugh. _That_ was a job change the Functionists were unlikely to approve. Starscream was, predictably, unimpressed.

"You might need to, if I decide to hire new mechs," he snapped. He was the Air Commander again now, not a hungover reveler. "Get out of here. Updraft, let's see those essay drafts."

There had always been moments where she had hated him. Usually they flashed, and ebbed away, but the feeling had started to burn within her. She made mental notes of Starscream's (many) criticisms, to show Thundercracker later. He would sift through them for her for what actually mattered.

"Now you're just getting the full Starscream experience," Skywarp said the next day. He was cheerful, but the tone of his voice only made Updraft's spark hurt. "It won't be so bad soon. This like...your adjustment period."

"I feel like my whole _life_ has been an adjustment period," she said. Skywarp laughed.

"Not yet, it hasn't," he said. "He knows you're a full Vosian now—not the same as a little sparklet." He patted her shoulder. "Flying means a lot here, and you've got your wings now. See the good side—now he knows how valuable you are!"

That was an awfully positive spin on Starscream and his new behaviour. When picking out a few pieces of jewelry for her debut, her carrier hovered, and fussed when she made what he considered poorchoices. Iaconians didn't wear jewelry. Tarnians and Polyhexians probably didn't, and Kaonians certainly didn't. Vosians were sparing with the stuff, but Updraft, for once, felt overly dressed.

Not even her new, beautiful polishing set was an real consolation. That was a surprise, when a good wash had never failed her before. She felt especially robbed by this, when her daily wash and and polish had always been such a comfort.

The debut wasn't so bad, really. She had been worried about the attention, but she was not the only young bot making her first public appearance. She might have been the most important, but that only mattered to her trine. She was becoming good at pretending she cared about the goings-on around her, and to everyone else she managed to appear poised and interested. She smiled, nodded, greeted, and held her wings high. She ate her weight in candy, and considered that her little rebellion. If she had to be on Starscream's arm all night, pretending she was enjoying herself, the least she could do was make him wrinkle his nose at how much she packed away.

"What ridiculous customs," Dreadwing said later. Updraft was sick (too much candy) and had been petulant for once, asking for her bodyguard's company instead of going out with Starscream. Thundercracker, tired from the night before, had obliged her.

"They are," she said, stretching her legs out on the couch. "Good candy, but..."

"But?" Dreadwing said. He had been mild, and calm, flipping through the news as she rested that morning. "Adulthood in this city seems suffocating, if you ask me. I thought they'd made your childhood hard enough."

"I'm sure I'll find a way to make him regret it," she said. Dreadwing grinned.

It was a pleasant morning, a rare relief from following Starscream through morning flight drills and making nice with the high castes. Dreadwing's presence was comforting, free of judgment, and she hadn't realized until now how much she had appreciated those quiet mornings. She had always itched to follow Skywarp and Thundercracker into the air, for Skyquake to tell her a story, for more challenging lessons.

These days she could follow the trine, and the lessons certainly were a challenge...but there were no more stories. No more quiet mornings.

Dreadwing watched her with calm, thoughtful optics. "Are you alright, little one? Do you need more medical grade?"

"No," she said. "My tanks are about settled. Just thinking."

"Good," he said. "I know there's much for you to think on these days."

Didn't she know it.

* * *

To her relief, she wasn't sick of flying.

The otherwise disappointing start to her adulthood still hadn't marred the thrill of transforming and taking to the air, or the praise over how well she was doing already. There was no fancy wingwork, not like her Seekers, but that took training. For now, she didn't look out of place in the traffic of Vos.

A few people recognized her, and politely pinged her comm as they passed. Updraft pinged back, as she'd been taught, but fortunately, she had a place to be. She was getting sick of flying with Starscream's peers, and having to wait for Starscream to finish his maneuvers. On her own, she could just enjoy the sky.

It worried her, how far the Department of Records was from the penthouse. Thundercracker would fret if she was out too long alone. But it was broad daylight, and she had scraped out an afternoon to herself. She might not have this opportunity again, and, slag, it might even please Starscream if she said she'd lost track of time in the air.

Her landing was shakier than she would have liked. Someone smiled reassuringly at her as they walked on, and Updraft straightened up quickly. People knew more about dealing with newbuilts than with sparklets, it seemed. Now you couldn't tell her from any young, forged Seeker—not unless you knew she was the Air Commander's daughter, anyway.

She had expected such an important building to be bigger, but the Department of Records was sandwiched between a mod shop and an energon dispensary. No one she recognized from Starscream's parties was around to see her, not on this side of the city, and Updraft slipped inside without being stopped.

It was clear that this building was not Vos's top priority. One or two customers were around, browsing for whatever they needed, and one was waiting rather impatiently at the counter. Starscream would have commented on his rudeness, how his foot tapped on the tile, thinking nothing of how many times he had done the exact same watched a worker show up to assist him, and tried to look like she knew what she was doing.

"Excuse me, miss." A tall mech gestured to her, and Updraft turned quickly. "Is there anything I can help you with today?"

Her spark eased—this was an employee, not someone who knew the Air Commander. Updraft straightened up, and tried to look together. "Yes, actually. I'd like to see my personal record."

The mech smiled. "Of course. Identification?"

She flashed her card—gold, to show her status—and the worker had straightened up, nodding firmly. He'd realized she mattered. "Right away, miss! We're here to serve." His optics flickered, and Updraft's spark curled. "I'm required by law to ask, as this is a record open only to you, if you have a purpose for viewing it?"

Updraft nodded. She had practiced this—though she hadn't expected his fear. Was she scary? (Of course not, she came up to his chest. Her rankwas.)

"Some information is needed for my Academy applications," she said. She smiled, hoping he'd relax. "I have most of my documents, but I'd like to be proactive and make sure."

He smiled back, nodding. "Of course! Of course. Right this way, miss."

She hadn't expected such a reaction to her status. In fact, she hadn't thought at all about her gold ID card, because it had looked no different from Starscream's or his trine's. As a sparklet she'd outranked most of Vos, too, but sparklets were spoiled rarities. They had no right to pull rank.

Updraft followed the worker behind the counter, where she was graciously offered a seat and a privacy screen. "You must be newly forged," he said, and Updraft didn't correct him. "I remember pulling out my records, too. Though normally the batch initiator or the creator comes along..."

She smiled, to quell her rush of fear. "I'm just trying to be independent," she said. "I'll have to do it myself eventually."

"Of course, of course!" Updraft wondered if he would agree with everything she said, as long as she had that gold ID card in his face. A sleek datapad was set carefully in front of her, the worker inclining his head her way. "Come and get me any time for assistance, miss. I'll just give you some privacy."

He was out of her way in a second, greeting another customer, and Updraft was alone with her file. She wondered, worriedly, if Starscream would have input a passcode, something to keep her out, but this was one of the rules that spread across all castes: you couldn't access any private record but your own. Legally, she was no longer his.

Not that that was realistic. It still felt as if any second now he would loom over her, snatching the file out of her hands, chastising her for coming without him and "sneaking around." She took a deep vent in as she turned on the datapad.

Most of this she knew. The hospital she'd been born in, her rank, her alt mode (newly added, along with her ID photo). There really wasn't much to say about her, not this early in her life. Next to " _Method of Creation_ " the form read " _Sparked,_ " with Starscream's full name handwritten in.

Updraft's spark thrummed in her chest. Just under that, still in Starscream's neat hand, was her sire's name.

She wasn't sure what she'd expected. It was just a name—a Vosian name, at that—written in by her carrier, because he had been required to. She read it, and re-read it, several times. _Knock Out of the Vosian Heights._

She scanned a personal copy, though she would never have forgotten it. This was something not even Starscream's trine knew, and it was thrilling to know her carrier had no clue she'd come here. Somewhere on Cybertron, maybe even _right here_ in Vos, there was a mech or femme who had sired her, who might not even know she existed.

It didn't feel like her life. It was like something out of a story, and it was hard to imagine she was really a part of it. Updraft turned off the datapad slowly, standing up to wave the worker back over. Right away he was there, and she noticed guiltily that she'd taken attention from a different customer.

"All done, then?" he asked brightly. He collected the datapad, and Updraft pushed down the sudden worry that he might work for Starscream. She nodded, smiling like her spark wasn't trying to fly out of her chest.

"I have everything I need, thank you," she said. "I'll just be perusing the public records for a bit, if you don't mind."

"Not at all! That's what we're here for." He gestured towards the open consoles. Updraft imagined what Starscream must have been like, when he'd come here to file his sensitive information. Demanding and agitated, snapping and frightening the unsuspecting attendants. "Let me know if you need assistance."

"Of course. Thank you." She sounded so grown-up now, not like herself. Thundercracker would have been pleased, but not even that had the same satisfying ring it had before. Updraft found the console furthest from others' line of view, and started her searches.

Her own public record read out her name, photo, and function—something that still read "TO BE CONFIRMED." When she was in school, it would be updated. Thundercracker had more than one job listed, and she was secretly glad "flight instructor" came before "commander's right wing."

"Commander and Airlord of the Vosian Fleets" was the most embarrassing thing she had ever seen on an official record, and Updraft had never before been relieved that "Air Commander" was his preferred title. _Airlord_ was archaic, a pre-Functionist term for royalty.

Starscream probably still fancied himself a prince, and had insisted the old title be kept. Updraft tried not to grin at the thought.

Dreadwing and Skyquake's records were here, too, but she found herself surprised at the listing. "Industrial Flier" was not in the Taxonomies she'd studied. Perhaps she'd ask. For now, though, she had put off what she'd come here to search. When she finally punched in the name, she had to stare hard at what she found.

Knock Out of the Vosian Heights did not live in Vos, for one. Rodion was a smaller suburb of Iacon, one she'd read was a rough place. (Skyquake would have snorted at that—nowhere, he claimed, was rougher than Kaon's pits.) That was odd, as Vosians were fiercely loyal to their skies, but it wasn't unheard of. It wasn't what made her optics go bright with surprise, and stare.

No Vosian of the Heights had _wheels_ in the place of wings.

He was a good looking mech, with red optics and a sleek red frame, but those wheels were quite literallyin the spot his wings would have sat. No Vosian forged for the Heights would be allowed to take the name with them. There were no roads here, no ground for tires to bite. Flight, here, was synonymous with life.

No wonder Starscream had never told her about her sire. Something twisted in Updraft's tanks that was unsettling, and she did her best to push it down. Smokescreen was a racer, too, and she knew it couldn't mean he mattered any less.

Every shape served a purpose, after all. But Smokescreen wasn't Vosian.

She looked at Knock Out's photo again. He was smirking, but it wasn't the same sort of cruel smile you'd catch on Starscream. More mischief than anything. Not that she'd know, from only his photo, and with some of the people Starscream partied with...

She looked at his function. "Aesthetic Surgeon" meant he did mods, and the wealthy class she was part of did love those. She had seen plenty of them since her upgrade, of varying quality and usefulness. It was entirely possible he was very successful, in good standing outside of Vos. How had he gotten to Rodion, and why had he gotten himself wheels?

The only way to know, she realized, would be to ask him herself.

She certainly wouldn't find out through Starscream. It was clear they hadn't been in contact for some time, and he'd never let Updraft out of his sight if her snooping got out. Neither, she realized, would Skywarp and Thundercracker. They had been loving to her, always protective, but she remembered how Thundercracker had looked once at Smokescreen, a little mech sparked from rollers. How they turned up their noses at the rare grounded mechs who visited Vos. If they knew about this, they'd want her to put it out of her mind. People would talk if it got out. And nothing mattered more to her carrier than his standing.

But now... _she_ knew where to find this mech, and they didn't. Gossip would not be necessary. The datanet would tell her where to find his shop, and how to get there quickly.

She could ask Knock Out herself, in Rodion, and settle her curiosity. With how busy everyone had been, she might even get to do it under their noses. Provided she could get away, but these days she asked for so little. It would be possible, at the right time.

She turned off the console and stood up, her steps just as full of purpose as when she'd come in. There was a lot to be confused about in all this. Vosian life had not been what she'd been promised.

For now, Updraft had had enough. Taking to the air, she began planning her adventure.

* * *

As it turned out, she didn't have long to wait. (There had been no problems with her lone flight—Starscream had been pleased to see her taking time in the sky.) Sunstorm, the mech who had moved in a floor below, was hosting a housewarming party, and the trine planned to "drop by" and see him. Updraft had dreaded this—Starscream dragged her to most of his functions, whether they were suitable or not, and she had seen her lifetime share of drunks before her childhood had properly begun.

Thundercracker tried to keep her nearby, of course, but her adulthood had gotten Skywarp to start behaving badly in her line of sight. Often Thundercracker was babysitting his conjux, and leaving Updraft to navigate on her own. Smile and nod, take one small drink, wish Dreadwing could be here and make these people stay away.

As it happened, she had an essay due the next day, one of the ones meant to prove she was Academy-ready. Of course, Updraft could have submitted a blank datapad and still gotten the top seat. Being the Air Commander's daughter trumped merit, but it certainly wasn't who she wanted to be.

"I can't have my classmates think I'm just a pretty face," Updraft said to Thundercracker. She made sure to widen her optics, and rest a hand gently on his arm. "The paper's done, but I really to make sure it's right."

Thundercracker nodded, brows furrowed. Of course he would agree. It's not like he wanted her at these things (no matter how many times he told her she'd have to get used to it). "Your carrier will be disappointed," he started. Updraft frowned.

"He'll be more upset if I don't have the top admission scores," she said firmly. "It's just one night."

"Just remember that we won't be home tomorrow," Thundercracker said. He pulled away from Updraft, turning to get a look at his wings. Something that would have made her spark sink a week ago now made it leap. "We'll be in Helex for that conference."

Updraft wanted to grin wide—it might be days before they noticed she'd gone, if at all!—but she tempered it into a smile. "I'll manage," she said. "Don't drink too much."

The corner of Thundercracker's mouth twitched. "Truly a problem I struggle with," he said, raising a brow. "Be good, little one."

Lying to him was hard. Doing something she knew would make his spark flash with disapproval just about hurt, but she had already decide. This was something she couldn't just put aside. Not when the knowledge was there, when her sire's name pulsed in her brain module.

Starscream didn't complain to her as they left, and she waved cheerfully to Skywarp as the door shut behind him. She spent some minutes staying in place, typing lines she'd delete every so often. Her fingers and wings twitched.

When she was satisfied that enough time had passed, she sprang into action. She had a couple of currency cards now, though Starscream gave out shanix sparingly. She'd done a little math, and found that she had enough for shuttle tickets to Tarn and back. It was supposed to be an unsafe flight path, Tarn to Iacon, but if she wanted to recharge and fuel on her trip...there would be enough money on her cards for a small room.

There _should_ be enough. It had surprised her just how costly living expenses could be—but they were wealthy bots. Surely she could hold her own down there.

Updraft locked the door behind her, and made for the elevator. A flight out from the shuttle bay was much less conspicuous than one off her balcony. Her shuttle seat would have to be from Vos's main transport station, not their building's own. The attendants here knew her well.

She had barely reached out to hit the button when a hand rested on her shoulder. She couldn't help it—she jumped, whirling around to find Dreadwing standing over her.

"It's rather late to be going for a fly," he said solemnly. Updraft tried not to slump.

"Not _too_ late," she said, hand hovering over the button. "Just need to clear my head."

"Perhaps I should come with you?" Dreadwing said, stepping forward to stand beside her. He had a smile on his face, one Updraft couldn't bring herself to share. "I've seen little of you in the air, and those who disapprove are busy." Showing just who he meant, he pointed downstairs. Already the music could be heard through the floor.

"That's okay," she said, too quickly. Right away Dreadwing frowned. Updraft wondered if she could get into the elevator and shut the door before he caught her. "It's okay, Dreadwing, I was just gonna do a quick lap, and then-"

He folded his arms. One brow was raised, and Updraft knew she was doomed. "You're nervous," he said calmly. "I am not sure an evening flight is really what you're doing."

Updraft's wings drooped, and she flicked them in annoyance. _Slagging giveaways._ Dreadwing stayed where he was, patiently waiting for her response. Her bodyguards had always been trustworthy—they certainly trusted her more than they did Starscream, and that meant something. They'd kept her Smokescreen secret for many years, without a hint of giving it up (or even holding it over her head when she caused trouble, and she had caused decent amounts of that as a sparklet).

This was something considerably different. Updraft sighed, wings still pointed downwards, and turned back towards their door. "No. I'm not. I was about to do something crazy, that would make everyone blow a gasket. I figured I'd get caught farther out, though."

"I see," Dreadwing said. "My apologies, then, for sticking my thrusters in your plan."

"Accepted," Updraft said. Now her shoulders were drooping, too, the name of her sire still rattling around in her head. It looked like that was all she would be getting after all. "Goodnight, I guess. I've got a paper to read over."

"Not so fast, little one." Dreadwing's big hand rested gently on her shoulder, and made her pause. "Your last little outing caused you no trouble. How did you find your first records check?"

Updraft felt as if all the colour had just drained from her spark. She turned, slowly, and knew she must have looked terrified from the sudden anxiety in Dreadwing's face. "How did you know about that?" she asked. "Does Starscream know? You didn't tell him, did you?"

Dreadwing held out his hands. "I would not give up your private doings to that mech," he said. "Not unless your life were in danger. Did you learn what you needed to then?"

Updraft tried to relax. No, Dreadwing wouldn't tell Starscream about that. "Still," she said. "If you know, he might find out, and-"

"I saw you on your way out," he said. His voice was gentle now, the way it went when Skyquake was angry and they thought Updraft couldn't hear. "Whatever you're planning, you are sure you want no one else to know?"

"Yes," Updraft said firmly, though now her spark fluttered. It was hard not to falter under Dreadwing's serious gaze. "I...okay. I'm going to Rodion. But _don't_ tell the trine."

Now Dreadwing regarded her curiously. "Rodion is in another hemisphere," he said. "Quite a ways, and a rough place. Not as rough as-"

"-Kaon, I know," Updraft finished for him. Kaonians were always proud, because they had survived their rough home in one piece. Dreadwing said nothing of her impoliteness. "I need to go. It's so important, but no one would let me if they knew why."

She wondered when Dreadwing would gesture for her to come back inside. He was dragging this out, and her failure was depressing enough as it was. Finally, Dreadwing straightened up, and his optics pulsed a touch brighter.

"You are your own Seeker now," he said. "They keep telling you that, but I suspect those wings you've been so pleased about could be spread further." Dreadwing had said little about how she'd been treated since her upgrade—Updraft had wondered if he'd been concerned about being sent away entirely. "But it would still be better if someone knew where you were going, if you need help at any point."

Updraft sighed. Dreadwing had been treating her like the adult she now was, and he had trusted her to use her new status wisely. If he said he wouldn't tell Starscream, he meant it, and that was important.

"...I found out where my sire is," she said, very softly. Primus forbid a partier come up the elevator right now. "I want to at least _see_ them, maybe even meet them. Maybe they're like Starscream, but, I mean..." She looked up at Dreadwing, whose brows were raised high on his face. "...I think I have a right to find out what they're like."

"I agree," Dreadwing said, and Updraft guessed she shouldn't have been surprised. Hadn't Dreadwing only just said he trusted her? "You have a right to know who ignited your spark. But someone must know where you are, just in case."

From his subspace, Dreadwing pulled out a small credits chip, and right away Updraft held out her hands. "It's okay!" she said quickly. "It's fine. I can get a round-trip from here to Tarn, and then fly the rest of the way, and-"

"It's an upgrade gift," Dreadwing said firmly, thrusting the chip out for her to take. "Purchase the full shuttle trip, and I trust you'll have enough to keep yourself safe and fueled. I will not have you harmed on a flight between cities."

"I'll be alright," Updraft said, but her voice faltered. Dreadwing's voice had gone stern, where normally he spoiled her.

"You may," he said, "but I would rather ensure it. You're right about this being something to do on your own."

Carefully, Updraft took the chip, and stored it away ("subspace" did not have nearly the limitless possibilities people implied, but she certainly had room for this). Skywarp and Thundercracker had occasionally given her pocket money, but she'd learned the twins had little of it to spare.

When she looked back up at Dreadwing, he smiled, and Updraft rushed forward. Dreadwing's embrace was just as enveloping as it had ever been, though he gave a grunt of surprise now on her impact. "Thank you," she said into his plating. "I'll be careful. I swear."

His large hand stroked her helm. She hadn't given out many hugs since her upgrade. "You can be a little fireball," Dreadwing said fondly. "Think about your words and actions, always."

"Don't get fired for letting me go," Updraft said, before pulling back. Dreadwing chuckled.

"I don't plan to," he said. "Now—go. It's getting late."

He took the elevator down with her, but on the shop floor strode off, without another goodbye. Updraft was fine with that, with a new, excited lift in her spark and a little more shanix in her subspace. Her takeoff felt lighter, her flightpath smoother as she headed for the shuttle terminal downtown.

She wondered, again, whether Knock Out knew he'd ignited a spark.

* * *

Getting there went off without a hitch. No one looked twice at her upon boarding, and Dreadwing's money got her a private seat where she could nap and think. No furious comms pinged her (though she tuned out her family upon leaving Vos, just in case), and no shuttles or flyers chased them down, demanding her return. It stilled Updraft's beating spark a little, but not entirely.

Iacon had glittered just the same as she remembered it, and she wondered where Smokescreen was among those lights. She hadn't told him he was coming, in case he tried to find her (though the thought of seeing him, all grow up, made her spark jump excitedly too). This was something she'd told herself she had to do alone. The damage from the Iacon attacks had been patched up long ago, and someone ignorant of them would never have noticed what was different.

Rodion was something of a satellite city to Iacon, and Updraft tried to look calm about its sprawling apartments and factory spouts. She tried not to laugh nervously at their second-to-last stop, a city slum known as the Dead End. To her relief, where she was going wasn't _there,_ and she made herself look away from the rough mechs who boarded the shuttle.

Knock Out had been easier to find than she'd thought. Her little excursion as a child still weighed heavy on her, in the midst of her second solo adventure. She had simply searched a directory of surgeons and mod dealers at one of the shuttle's stops, and found his name and shop on the list. It would be easy enough to walk in, she was sure. She'd look like a customer, maybe strike up a conversation, find her way around to "by the way, I'm your daughter."

By her stop, Updraft had realized she could have thought this out better. She might known where she was going (down to an address! A far cry from a little kid looking for the Red Heights), but stepping off the shuttle took her into another world.

It wasn't frightening, not like Vos's lower levels. Not even like a Vosian party. But it _was_ crowded, and lively, and colourful. The nearest storefronts, and the mechs who tended them, all seemed to have a rough edge—no self-respecting Vosian would let their space do without a fresh coat of paint. Iacon's lights glittered in the distance, and she was surprised to find them reassuring. Bad memories or not, they were something she knew.

Updraft was glad, in a rueful way, that she was used to optics on her. When she finally stepped into the street, she knew the stares of leering bots when they landed. She preferred the ones who were just curious, about what such a pretty, cleaned-up Seeker was doing in their part of town. They went back to their business, but the stares of others followed her down the street. Maybe she shouldn't have polished so well the morning before.

The ones who called after her probably expected her to jump—rich kid in a new city, out of place—but Updraft was an expert when it came to drunk idiots. She kept her gaze straight ahead, and thought of Knock Out. Wondered if this would be a horror story to laugh over with Smokescreen and cry about with the twins, or something that would be worthwhile.

Either way, Starscream would burst a line if he found out, and that was a satisfying thought.

He'd burst a line when he saw the room she'd rented, too. Small and a bit shoddy, but the datanet carried hotel reviews, too, and "safe" rang out as this one's strongest praise. The security bots certainly looked the twins' size. She wondered how much easier studying would have been as a sparklet, had she had her own login at the time—the place seemed to have everything, right up to sites for places to stay. Updraft stored her few belongings in the safe, and thanked Primus for her luck so far.

She looked more frightened in her full-length mirror than she would have liked. She squared her shoulders, perked up her wings, and prepared for anything.

She wished Skywarp and Thundercracker were here, too. Skywarp's grin and encouragement, TC's gentleness and kind words. If they could have approved, even come with her...well, things would be easier if this ended up going sour.

But she really hoped it wouldn't do that.

It would be faster if she flew, of course. She _could_ walk to the shop, but why do that when she could scope out Rodion from the air? Her wings itched for it after the long ride.

As she left the hotel, she made for a wide open street, for pedestrians—easy to take off from without causing trouble for the grounders. There was no reason to expect anything going wrong, not when she had done this so many times before, from similar wide places. She took off easily, intent to join the fliers above—

—the sparking, hot wires strung from shop to shop. The surprise was enough to make her scream, but the _pain..._ Updraft found herself falling, and barely transformed before the ground rushed up to meet her.

"Kid?"

A face was peering over her—and a huge, hulking frame, bigger than Dreadwing and Skyquake combined. Updraft shrank back in spite of herself, scooting backwards on the road.

"That was quite a scene," said another voice, more amused than anything. Updraft was about to bristle, until she decided this was no different than Skyquake's teasing. Only from a stranger, in a strange city, on the other side of the world. She could do this.

The bigger mech reached out, and she let him help her up, before stepping a good few paces back. "Was it really that bad?" she said glumly. The other, smaller mech grinned. He had wide fins on the side of his head, and when he grinned at her, they flashed.

"Nah," he said. "Rodion's used to crazy. But you're not from around here, are you?"

Updraft took as subtle a step back as she could manage. Big, rough looking mechs like this generally weren't anything like the twins, even if they'd helped her up. "No," she said. "I'm just visiting."

"Odd place to take a vacation," the bigger mech said. His optics twinkled, friendly enough, but his hulking green frame loomed over her. "Rodion's not usually in the top ten there."

Nothing about them _said_ they would hurt her, not with those kind optics and smiles. Not in a wide street in the middle of the day. Updraft still wasn't stupid enough to relax, but she smiled anyway.

"Personal business," she said. "Thank you for your help—just what are those wires, anyway?"

The shorter mech grinned, his head fins flashing brightly at her. "They don't have light rail where you come from? It's a bit outdated, but they hold the streetcars in place." Seemingly to prove his point, a large vehicle zipped by, and within Updraft could see bots who lacked both wheels and wings. No wonder they didn't have one at home.

"No," she said. "We fly everywhere in Vos, of course."

"I knew I recognized that accent," the bigger mech said. "I know a Vosian—or, he used to be. Runs a mod shop in the North End."

His friend suddenly looked more critical, and Updraft was reminded of the usual opinions of rollers. Not everyone had a Smokescreen to talk to, or Kaonians to help her sift through her city's opinions.

"That Knock Out's just as vain as he would have been in Vos," he said, scoffing, and Updraft's spark jolted. What were the odds? That she would meet mechs who knew her sire, in this bustling city. Still, when he looked at Updraft, his optics were friendly. "But maybe our new friend here is young enough to learn better."

Updraft smiled sweetly at him. "We'll see. Would you be able to tell me where you can pass over the wires?"

The bigger mech pointed some distance ahead. "There's a big opening up ahead. Be careful, you hear?" He elbowed his friend, apparently as gently as he could manage. "C'mon, Jackie. Break's over."

"Yeah," his friend said as he stretched. "Didn't even get that fuel. Distracted and all." He flashed another smile Updraft's way, one she was sure to return. Embarrassment still prickled at her neck.

"Safe travels, kid," the big mech said to her, and they were off, transforming and rolling slowly back out to the freeway. Nobody was even looking her way now—what interest did they have, in a stupid kid who had hit the streetcar lines?

Quickly, she was in the air. She felt better already, getting her bearing abovethe wires and flying, with as much purpose as she could muster, over Rodion. She had gone over the directions to the shop, over and over, and maybe she should have rested first, but she was _here_ and waiting made her feel like she might burst. So she went.

It was harder than she'd guessed. In Vos, everything save a few downtown streets was meant for fliers, towers taller than the clouds Vosians went between and over. Here, all manner of mecha were roaming around, and even those with wheels or wings were often seen strolling. She had seen the same in Iacon, so maybe it shouldn't have come as a surprise.

But it had been a long time since Iacon. Updraft would have to re-adjust to flightless mechs, and do it quickly, if her sire was one. The thought would have horrified Thundercracker and Skywarp, but she had found herself less bothered. Maybe she should have been—a good little Vosian might well have purged at the thought of being part roller.

Knock Out hadn't always been a roller, though, and that was the part that her spark ached the most to know. Had he had wings when he sired her? At first she had started to believe he had—but she had seen Starscream admire wheeled mechs before, in Vos or on the news. The datapads in his room, the ones she was forbidden to touch and had once rummaged through, certainly had images of rollers in them. (Images she had wished her memory banks could purge. No wonder those had been forbidden. Primus, who _bought_ those?)

It had been so easy for her to step into having wings, and Updraft had soon found that they were the only thing left that gave her real freedom. Starscream couldn't hold her up here, not this far away from him. She couldn't imagine giving them up for soft tires.

Of course, her sire might just slam the door in her face. It would be something of a shock to find out he'd sired a sparklet, and he might well want nothing to do with her. She hoped not, not after all this...but the thought still made her hesitate as she touched down (this time mindful of the wires) on a smaller street.

Updraft, used to high-rises, found herself in front of a squat corner building, an alley to one side and other shops all around. Others had more apartments built on top of them, often haphazardly, but none of them had the height and sweeping beauty of back home. They had colour, though, and the windows were beginning to light up as the sun went down. The neon signs, and the moon rising massively behind them, made the world seem to glow.

The trine would have scoffed, of course. Dreadwing and Skyquake might have liked it—their descriptions of Kaon had been vivid enough to tell her it was _not_ like this, not like Vos's lower levels. She decided, after a moment, that she could like it, too. But she would have to see what she found inside this shop.

As Updraft watched it, a light flicked on inside. Her spark jumped. Someone was home, alright, and they'd want to know what she was doing. With as much bravery as she could manage, she strode up to the door, and rang the bell.

There was silence at first, before Updraft heard stomping, and the door unlocked. Her spark skipped again, and she straightened up, remembering that she had hit streetcar lines earlier and might have been charred, might not be presentable, and—

—Knock Out had not answered the door.

The mech standing in front of her towered, almost as big as the mech from earlier. His shoulders slumped, in the way of tired bots, his blue plating nicked and scuffed. He leaned on the doorway, regarding her for a moment before his yellow optics flickered irritably. Updraft forced herself not to shrink back.

"Can I help you?" he asked, in the most unhelpful voice Updraft had ever heard. He loomed, and Updraft did take one small step back. Still, she stood straight, her wings perked up high.

"I'm sorry to bother you," she said. "I'm looking for Knock Out—"

"He's not home," the mech said.

"Oh," said Updraft. "Do you know when—"

"You can come back tomorrow, since the shop's closed up," he said, cutting her off again. He raised a brow at her. "Or you can make an appointment."

"Oh, I'm not here for the shop," she said quickly. "I...need to speak with him. It's a personal matter."

The mech frowned, and only then did Updraft notice that someone else was watching her. Leaning out a window, some ways back, was a bot almost as big as this mech. She was pretty, with large red optics and a round face, and Updraft could see her curiosity. The trine would have scoffed, even made fun of her size. Vosians liked sleek and willowy, and had little time for anything else. She smiled, just slightly, and somehow it made her braver.

The mech in the door seemed less impressed. In fact, she must have used the wrong words, because his optics had narrowed at her in skepticism.

"Well," he said, "if you need to pass a message along, I'm his conjux. It'll get to him."

Updraft couldn't say why, exactly, this made her spark run cold. Of course Knock Out had a life of his own. Plenty of people had conjunx endurae. That should have made her feel better, in fact, because if he could attract _anyone_ long enough to be conjux material he was probably better than Starscream.

But that conjux already looked unhappy to see her. What would he think of who she was? What would Knock Out think, after the time he had obviously spent building his life here?

"I-I was hoping to speak to him in person." _Slaggit._ She never stuttered. "Are you sure you won't be back soon?"

"Like I said, kid." The big mech's patience seemed to be wearing thin. The femme in the window smiled again, but Updraft could see it was apologetic. "You can make an appointment. Have a good night."

The door shut in her face. Updraft, stunned, stared at it for a moment. She felt her wings dip low, lower than she had ever held them. It felt as if her spark was frozen in place.

How had she already messed this up? Even if she talked to Knock Out soon, or tomorrow, or after that...well. His conjux would have gotten there first, and how could she blame her sire for taking his word over hers?

Optics dimming, she turned to go. She would think about this over night, and decide in the morning what she would do next. The freedom of leaving, of being apart from what had held her to Starscream, had been a nice taste. Really nice, actually. Being someone looking for something, and not her carrier's ornament, had been an adventure. One _she_ had gotten this far in, herself.

"Hey."

Updraft jumped. She had forgotten about the femme in the window already, now staring at her with wide optics. "Are you alright?" she asked. "Sorry about Breakdown—I think you were already a little worked up before he started in on you."

 _Understatement of the era._ Updraft shifted uncomfortably, making a conscious effort to lift her wings higher. "I really wanted to speak to Knock Out. I—I came all the way from Vos to see him, and it's really important."

For a split second, the femme's optics narrowed, and she looked strikingly like the mech from before. She composed herself quickly, but Updraft wondered if mentioning Vos had been a mistake.

"Knock Out put Vos behind him," she said carefully. It was so diplomatic that Updraft wondered how she knew him. Would an employee be that close? "But...okay. I'm so sorry about being forward, but I feel like you're not part of _that_ Vos. Those people wouldn't fly down here, let alone talk to the likes of us, from what I've heard." She smiled again, as if to reassure both of them. "If you need to talk to him, this badly, I'll trust you on it being important."

Updraft felt rooted to the spot. She didn't say that she _was_ a part of that Vos, couldn't explain what about her ridiculous life had made her have to play a part in front of other Vosians. She had become distracted, for just a second. Looking at this big femme more carefully, she could see the nervous ripple in her biolights, and the awkward shift of her plating. She knew it well, because they were all things she was still dealing with too. Clear signs of a new frame.

She finally smiled back, but it was shaky and the bot would know it. Enough crazy things had happened to her to try and make the best of this small kindness.

"It might be the most important thing I've ever done," Updraft said, hoping her voice was steady. "Really? You'll trust me just like that?" The femme raised her brows, but she could tell it wasn't mocking. Something made her wonder if this girl even had it in her to mock.

"One second." The femme's optics went suddenly wide and bright. "Don't fly off, okay? I mean everything I said."

The window shut, and for a moment Updraft stood there stunned. She wondered what, about her, attracted oddballs. Her prickly, cruel carrier and his long-suffering trinemates, who would have been just fine without him but whose loyalty stood firm. A pair of split-spark Kaonian twins who considered themselves her protectors, who could be counted on where her family could not. A cheerful speedster who had survived a terrorist attack at her side, and who had never once let a message go unanswered.

And this broad-shouldered, gentle femme, who had slammed a window shut and had raised her voice inside enough for Updraft to just barely make it out. When she finally met Knock Out, who in Primus's name would _he_ be, this mech who had built a mod shop as far as you could get from Vos?

After a moment, the door opened. Slower this time, and the big mech was back. He looked a little sheepish, and just behind him the femme was smiling.

"I'm afraid," the mech said carefully, "that I haven't shown you proper hospitality. My apologies. Knock Out should be home in about half an hour." He jerked his head towards the femme. "Uppercut here can show you a seat."

How funny, that they would both have the same first glyph in their names. The two bots, both filling up the hall, stepped neatly back so Updraft could join them. Uppercut's smile was just as warm as it had been in the window, and she couldn't bring herself to be suspicious of it. Something, and she couldn't say what, told her to trust.

"Sorry again," she said. "It's been a long week for my carrier. I make sure he minds his manners."

Updraft's optics went so bright that she had to force herself to dial them back.

Sire, sire's conjux, conjux's kid. Two huge, wheeled bots, standing in a shop that needed a new coat of paint, in a city she had landed in that afternoon. Welcoming her into her sire's home. She imagined Starscream's face, how his expression would have twisted in knots at the horror of all this.

Updraft stepped inside.


	10. Chapter 10

_Oh, man, this is a long one! But it's important, so I guess that's just how it goes. A lot more OC-related stuff in this chapter, not just Updraft, but I really hope you guys enjoy it (because I THOROUGHLY enjoy writing this self-indulgent robots-as-parents nonsense). Really happy I could get this up before my semester starts next week. Always happy to get reviews and feedback, please feel free to do so!_

* * *

Updraft had grown up in the biggest, brightest penthouse Vos had to offer. At least, that was what she'd been told, and if there was one with better furniture or bigger windows than Starscream's, she wouldn't be seeing it. Nothing about waking up thousands of feet off the ground disturbed her—it was all she knew, and these days there was no way for her to fall. Being able to see the ground, the real surface of Cybertron, outside the window, would take some getting used to.

Uppercut had showed her towards the best chair in the sitting room, before rushing through a doorway and reappearing with fuel. The ceiling was low and flat, enough that Breakdown would bump his head if he chose to jump. He set a pile of datapads aside and watched her, his face daring Updraft to say something about his home. She sat, back straight, and tried not to be disappointed in his suspicion. She would not let this mech think any less of her.

"So it's not going well, if he'll be home this early," Uppercut said. Breakdown shrugged. His arms were folded, watching Uppercut set the cube down in front of Updraft.

"I didn't like this guy anyway," Breakdown said. "Too stuck up. Knock Out won't like him either."

Updraft ached to ask " _like who,_ " but she was a guest. She imagined Thundercracker shaking his head at her, and it kept her posture good.

"Well," Uppercut said, "he liked him enough to take him to dinner."

They both seemed unconcerned by her confusion—surely Breakdown wasn't lying, or joking about being Knock Out's conjunx endura? She tried to imagine Skywarp or Thundercracker seeing anyone else but each other, and couldn't, and Starscream had never seen a mech for more than a week or two. Breakdown glanced her way, and Updraft made an effort to look unconcerned.

"Have you got a name, kid?" he asked her. One brow was raised, and Updraft could tell he was a bit like the twins—he had no trouble being intimidating.

"It's Updraft," she said. Uppercut grinned, and Breakdown huffed.

"That's Vosian, alright," he said. He jerked one thumb towards the next room. "I've got dishes to do before your sire gets home," he said to Uppercut. "Keep your guest company."

Updraft knew her wings dipped in relief, and tried, unsuccessfully, to keep them under control.

"We have the same first glyph in our names," Uppercut said in perfect Vosian. She smiled at the look on Updraft's face. "My sire speaks it to my brother and I. He always said it'd bowl that city over to see wheeled bots use their words."

"It would," Updraft agreed, still in Vosian, and Uppercut's smile became a grin. She didn't comment on there being a _brother_ as well—sparklets in this sort of caste were rare enough, but two?

In the next room, they could hear the loud clattering of cubes and plates being put away, and guessed Breakdown could hear everything being said. Gingerly, Uppercut took the seat across from Updraft—and knocked a datapad right onto the floor as she moved past the table.

"Sorry," Uppercut said quickly, reaching to pick it up. Updraft saw that friendly veneer split, for just a moment, as Uppercut's optics got wide and nervy. "Sorry. I'm pretty new into my full frame, it's hard to keep my balance sometimes."

That, Updraft could relate to. "I've been knocking doorways with my wings for weeks," she said. "My tutor says it'll pass, but it's hard to get the dents out."

"I should have guessed," Uppercut said. "It's not that hard to tell, once you know the signs." Updraft must have given her an odd look, because Uppercut started speaking again quickly. "When you live in a mod shop, you notice stuff like that. I hope I'm not being rude."

"You're not," Updraft said. "Really. You've been really nice. Most people in Rodion have been nice."

Uppercut grinned. "That's because you haven't been out at night, but—yeah. In this neighbourhood we look out for each other."

There was something Updraft ached to ask, but the question's rudeness kept it silent. She remembered Skywarp's laughter, a long time ago, when she had asked how the lower castes looked after their sparklets. If these people had applied, they would have either been laughed out of the office or kept on the waiting list until a new Prime was named, and everything was reshuffled. Maybe if she stuck this out, she would find out how Knock Out had gotten rid of his wings, _and_ sparked two children.

Children who were Updraft's brother and sister, she realized with a jolt. Starscream would have popped an energon line.

They all looked up abruptly, at the sound of the little bell on the shop's door. Updraft's spark hitched, because (as Breakdown had so helpfully explained) the shop was closed. This would be it.

The person to first peer around the doorframe definitely wasn't Knock Out. Updraft was taken aback—the mech was _huge._ Bigger than Breakdown, and right away Updraft braced herself. His shoulders were broad enough to almost get him stuck in the door, but his wings were what really made him have to turn on his side. Wide, long, and dipped low shyly. Certainly not Vosian, if he walked around with his wingtips trailing the floor.

Uppercut jumped up, looking delighted. "You're home late."

The mech rubbed the back of his neck. As soon as he'd seen Updraft his smile had turned shy, and she wondered what such a big, impressive mech would be shy about when she wasn't even half his size.

"I took an extra shift," he said. He tilted his head Updraft's way. "Who's this?"

"A stray your sister brought in," Breakdown said, appearing from behind the kitchen wall. "She's looking for your carrier."

Uppercut's brother had had one heck of an upgrade. Knock Out couldn't be that tall, not from the Vosian Heights, and she had seen his picture. When he looked her way, she straightened up. Better not to look like she'd been staring. Updraft held out her hand.

"Updraft," she said, smiling at him. She hoped she looked relaxed. "Good to meet you."

She held out her hand, and watched the big mech tentatively take it and shake, extremely gently. It was comical, but it was surely out of necessity, considering his hands dwarfed her own.

"I'm Windjammer. Uppercut's not usually one for taking in strays," he said. A glance at his sister received a shrug in return. "You won't have long to wait for my carrier—he's just in the shop."

Updraft swallowed hard. When she had envisioned meeting Knock Out, it had been alone—probably in his waiting room, or workshop. Not while intruding on his big happy family, obviously so protective of him.

Uppercut might have liked her, but these people were still strangers. They might not take kindly to her reveal.

She jumped at a muffled _thump_ from the shop—then jumped again, at the press of a big hand over hers. She fought the sudden, nervous urge to pull it back.

"Spark's sake," a muffled voice said. Updraft's spark hitched, but Uppercut smiled.

"He's carrying stuff that's too heavy again," she said, standing up. "Dad! Your sparklets are better equipped!"

Breakdown was looking at her, so Updraft didn't lean forward in an effort to get a better look. She waited, hands folded in her lap as if she was the picture of calm.

Windjammer was watching her with interest, as Updraft tried to strain her audials and hear what Uppercut was saying.

"Are you Vosian?" Windjammer asked suddenly. Breakdown raised a brow at him, but his optics were trained back on Updraft quickly.

"I am, yeah," she said, in the dialect. "I traveled to Rodion to see Knock Out."

"It's fine," Breakdown said. Updraft looked up in surprise. "She couldn't get to him if she wanted. And your sister likes her."

Windjammer's bright yellow optics had narrowed in suspicion. Updraft resisted the urge to sink smaller in her seat. Uppercut picked the right time to turn the corner, a large metal box balanced easily in one arm.

"…seriously, just ask one of us to come get it," Uppercut was saying. "New buffers aren't worth you cracking your struts."

"You all work too hard!"

Updraft leaned forward in spite of herself, because this would be her first good look at her sire. This mech had given her life, probably had no clue about it, and now she would meet him.

"Breakdown and your brother take _far_ too many shifts, and you're not quite settled in that upgrade. And your finish is chipped, sweet spot." His hand was on Uppercut's shoulder, his plating bright red and perfectly polished. Updraft had to admire his skill.

He looked like his picture, at least. No surprises there, but she'd expected someone...taller. Starscream liked those—but maybe it was just all these big mechs, dwarfing him.

"How was your date?" Windjammer asked. His optics, a moment ago suspicious, were bright with mischief. Updraft's went wide as she glanced at Breakdown, who looked entirely unaffected.

"Long," Knock Out said. He dropped a small bag on the nearest table as he strode in. "Atrocious manners when he ate. Won't be seeing him again."

His optics fell on Updraft. This time, she really did shrink down.

Knock Out slowed, then paused. His optics went almost white in their brightness before they narrowed at her. Those optics were intelligent, and she could feel them raking her up and down.

"Uppercut," he said, carefully. "You said you brought a guest in, not a Vosian."

The disdain for his city—their city—was palpable. Her one consolation was that Uppercut looked as distressed as she felt.

"She's nice!" she said. She gestured to Updraft. "I wouldn't have let her in if I thought—"

"Oh, yes you would have," Knock Out said, giving Breakdown what Updraft knew was a meaningful look between conjunx. "I won't have the Heights thinking I raised sparklets without hospitality. Now, then. Little Vosian, what's brought you to Rodion?"

A shameful instinct wanted her to stand up and scold this mech, who had so rudely made his opinion known. How could he assume she was here to give him trouble, hospitality or not? Just because she was high-caste and he was low—

—and Dreadwing would be ashamed if he knew he'd helped her get this far, only for her to act like her carrier. Instead, she took a deep vent in.

"I'm Updraft," she said, holding out her hand. In Standard, suddenly acutely aware of her accent. "It's nice to meet you. I have…something important to talk to you about."

Knock Out hesitated for a few seconds too long. Updraft counted the steps to the door, if she ran them.

"I suppose it must be important, then, if you came all this way." Knock Out stepped back, before finally taking a seat next to Breakdown. "I'm sure you've noticed why Vosians stopped bothering with me."

She wondered, idly, if it had bothered Knock Out when his son had taken a flying alt. Uppercut dropped down next to her, her face expectant, and Updraft took another deep vent in.

"Before I start, I hope you listen all the way through," she said. Knock Out was already opening his mouth, so Updraft continued quickly. "I'm really sorry about appearing like this, and intruding. It's…obvious why you left Vos. I didn't mean to scare you."

Knock Out reached out absently, spinning one of his wheels. "It's not so much fear," he said. "I put all that behind me. I'm simply protecting my family." He smiled slightly. "You're clearly young. I'm sure we can handle you."

Updraft bristled at the notion that she was young and therefore harmless—she kept it together. She should have rehearsed what she would say.

"Alright," she said. There were four expectant, strange pairs of optics on her, and she tried pretending they were just Vosian senators, that she had to speak to at a party and pretend to be interested in. "Well, recently...I had my upgrade. I only got access to my private records then, and there were some questions about myself that needed answering…"

Uppercut's optics were glued to her, leaning forward in her chair seemingly without realizing. Knock Out's face was locked on hers, too, a sudden intensity there that was almost unsettling.

"Anyway," she said quickly. "I might as well get right to it. I think you're my sire?"

Massive, deafening silence. Breakdown's brows shot up as he watched her, and Updraft knew her wingtips must be quivering.

She was preparing to be the reason for this family's fracture, when Uppercut tilted her head, optics narrowed.

"I thought you were _careful_ on your dates, Dad," she said.

Knock Out's optics were wide and bright. His hands gripping the armrests of the chair.

"I—well, if my _partner_ isn't taking the same care-" he sputtered at first. Updraft watched him pause, take a deep vent in, and continue staring.

Updraft had thought, after their rough start, that Breakdown would have gotten upset. Maybe had an outburst, his voice filling the room. In fact, he looked more like the night had just gotten more interesting.

"I have the documents," Updraft said quickly, pulling the datapad from her small bag. "In Vos you get in trouble for not putting in a sire, so—"

"Yes, I'm aware," Knock Out said quickly. "I was sparked there myself." Already his hands were outstretched for the record, and Updraft handed it over. He clutched it, staring hard at those neatly written names. His optics narrowed. Then they went wide.

"Oh," he said, very softly. "Oh, Primus, yes, I remember. Starscream."

" _Starscream?_ " Breakdown said. His brows were still raised high. "That stiletto-heeled piece you saw?"

"The very same," Knock Out said grimly. Updraft's spark hut Uppercut and Windjammer were both starting to look like they had been shellshocked, and she couldn't say she blamed them.

"I'm sorry," she started, but Knock Out raised his hand. He was still staring at the datapad.

"If this is true, don't get all upset. It's certainly not your fault," he said. Whatever she had expected him to say, it hadn't been that. "He's still Air Commander?"

"Yeah," Updraft said. She tried to keep the wobble out of her voice. "As long as I can remember."

"You didn't tell me that piece was an _Air Commander,_ " Breakdown said. Only now did he sound starn.

" _The_ Air Commander," Updraft said. "Only the Elite Guard one outranks him."

Breakdown huffed. "Whoop-dy doo."

Windjammer leaned forward, looking more thoughtful now than anything. "Does that have the Functionist Holoseal?"

The rest of them stared for a moment, before Knock Out actually glanced at the page again.

"Right there in the corner," he said. "All sparked mechs have it in the same place."

Windjammer nodded, sitting back. "Good. That means it's not fake."

"I would have gone to an awful lot of trouble just to lie to you," Updraft said, optics flicking on brighter.

"Well, if your carrier _is who he is_ , he could have sent you to take advantage of us," Breakdown said.

Updraft bristled. "He doesn't even know I checked my records, let alone that I'm _here._ "

She almost jumped at the hand on her shoulder, only to remember that Uppercut was still next to her. Updraft had the ridiculous urge to lean into her, the way she would have for comfort from Dreadwing or Skywarp.

"I believe her," Uppercut said firmly. "I don't see why she'd lie. It's not like they can hurt us now."

Now was not the time to question _that,_ either, but Updraft wondered all the same. She watched Uppercut's face darken in concentration—before it brightened, immediately, and she had rushed away.

"Hang on!" she said. "Just hang on. I'll prove she's my sister."

She rushed out of the room, almost knocking a table over in her enthusiasm. There was the sound of her rummaging through things in the shop, before she returned, a pricey looking device in her hand.

Right away Knock Out had stood. "That's expensive equipment you're fooling with," he snapped. "It's for the clients."

"I know how to use it," Uppercut said. Before Updraft's optics could flicker, she had flipped the device's switch and _notched_ Knock Out's arm.

He yelped in a very undignified way, clutching at the offending spot as Uppercut moved away. She grinned at Updraft's face, and just as quickly taken a tiny, stinging core from Updraft's arm. She squeaked, already thinking about the time it would take to weld over and buff out her finish again.

"CNA checker," Uppercut said, stepping back. "Usually we use it to make sure someone won't reject their new part."

Updraft rubbed her arm, frowning. "Can you really get that from just the frame?"

"Of course," Knock Out said. He leaned forward, trying to get a good look at the device's small screen. "It radiates out from the spark into the rest of you."

"If you're alive in the frame, it's got your biology," Uppercut said. There was a long moment of her watching the device, and all of them leaning forward, almost without realizing.

"She kind of has your face," Windjammer said suddenly. Updraft whirled to look at him, and he shrugged. "They say the sparked look like their parents."

Updraft smiled wanly. "I guess not for you."

She had expected that to annoy him, not make him smile. "It must not extend to siblings, either."

The machine beeped, and Updraft started. She spared a glance at Uppercut, and her spark went fainter at the stiff, startled set of her shoulders.

How embarrassing. For all of them, to have marched in here and claim she was from his spark. Starscream was a liar by definition, and he'd never tell her the truth if she confronted him.

"It's a match."

Her spark went in the other direction, overbright. Knock Out slumped, as if a huge load had been pulled from his shoulders. When he looked at Updraft, his optics were bright. Now he motioned to her, and he seemed to have changed completely.

"Up," he said. When Updraft didn't budge, he motioned more firmly and stood himself. "Come on, then. I'd like to get a good look at my sparklet."

Slowly, Updraft stood. So did Breakdown, though he made right away for the next room.

"You two ome help me get the fuel," he said. It was a meaningful look that Updraft knew well, having seen it enough from her own guardians. Uppercut's optics lingered as she passed through the doorway, her feet dragging.. Updraft knew there was no door, and they'd hear every word.

Updraft couldn't believe that she'd wanted to be alone with this mech a few minutes ago. Not that she was frightened, exactly. She certainly was _something_ as Knock Out circled her slowly.

"Stunning," he said softly. Updraft could hardly hear him. "Just stunning. All my children are beautiful, of course, but in a frame _that_ expensive…"

Updraft's faceplates burned hot. Starscream called her beautiful too, of course. (Always to illustrate his reproductive prowess, but it was a fact all the same.) Skywarp hadn't stopped stopped praising her large optics or wide wings since her upgrade, but Skywarp was not her sire. She'd wished that in the past, but at this moment, in this little sitting room, she was entirely satisfied with this.

"Beautiful," Knock Out said, "but sensible. Vosian heels are an unfortunate fashion. And powerful thrusters, for a frame your size."

Updraft smiled. "I pack a punch," she said. "My tutor says my top speed will only get faster till I'm trained."

Knock Out smiled too, and now Updraft saw warmth. Starscream had never looked at her that way.

"I wasn't a slowpoke myself when I was young. Still not," he said, his smile flashing into a grin. "I just traded in for new means."

His entire demeanor had changed. It was a little like the way Dreadwing and Skyquake softened when they saw her, but far more intense. _Fierce_ was the word she wanted, but there was nothing frightening about Knock Out now. For a moment Updraft let him circle her, and stop, fingers twitching as if he wanted to touch her.

"I knew as soon as I saw your picture why you left," Updraft said finally. "You didn't have wings when you…?"

Knock Out shook his head. "No. No, I fell in with your carrier after Vos. He came looking for an upgrade."

"Out here?" she asked in surprise. Her sire smiled.

"Rodion's modification laws are looser," he said. "At the time I had a reputation for treating flyers well, and he came alone for an upgrade." He made a face. "He certainly left modified."

Updraft stifled her laugh in time. She glanced, nervously, at the doorway, before turning back with her optics cast down.

"Windjammer is older," she said carefully. "Than Uppercut and I."

"Not all of us are monogamous, my dear," Knock Out said. He seemed entirely unconcerned by her questions. "I know what you're afraid of, but I'm no homewrecker. Breakdown knows who my favourite is."

She couldn't be sure of that until she knew them a little better—assuming she'd get the chance for that. Still, her wings relaxed. Knock Out's hand hovered for a moment mid-air, and when Updraft didn't flinch he let it fall, gently, to her shoulder.

"Updraft," he said, like he was planting the name firmly in his mind. "How lovely to meet you, Updraft."

A lump swelled in her throat. She forced herself to pull up some kind of wall, just a little distance, because she was already in danger of feeling like this mech's dear sparklet.

And tried to swallow her thrill, of knowing just how unhappy Starscream would be about his secret backfiring.

The light coming through the windows was gold, nearly red. Updraft had a sire now (a sire, _and_ siblings!) but that didn't change the risks of flying alone at night, halfway around the world.

"I'd better get going," she said, stepping back from Knock Out's hand. "It's getting late—"

"So soon?" Knock Out said. He sounded genuinely put out. Updraft smiled at him.

"I don't want to fly back to my hotel too late," she said. "I can come back tomorrow."

Knock Out's shoulders slumped, and Updraft could imagine the wings he'd once had pointing down with them.

"At least stay for dinner," he said. "Tell us about yourself. I think my daughter in particular is aching to know."

Updraft smiled. "And you're not?" she said.

Knock Out huffed, still smiling. "I'm more polite than to _say,_ of course. Uppercut's still young, and the young are curious."

On cue, Uppercut's head appeared from behind the doorframe. She looked a bit sheepish (from eavesdropping, no doubt).

"Table's set," she said. "Come wash up—I got the nice seat out for Updraft."

As it turned out, the nice seat had a back and a cushion. The other four were stools, arranged around with just enough space to squeeze Updraft in. There was a plate of more than one kind of energon goodie out, along with the usual energon, but Updraft managed to resist taking more than her share.

"Rest is for you," Breakdown said when he'd taken his. Gently, he shook the plate in Updraft's direction.

"Don't say no," Uppercut said, grinning wide. "That means he likes you."

"That's subjective," Breakdown said, but his lips twitched. "Nice to see this went better than I thought it would."

Most of the family was large-framed—there was a lot of bumping of elbows as they sat around the table. Knowing what Updraft did, though, the little building felt warmer.

She was asked question after question, mostly by Uppercut. "When's your creation day? Did you go to school? What's Vos like?"

Then she and her brother cross-referenced this with what Knock Out had told them. Windjammer seemed to remember the details, enough that Updraft wondered if he'd visited the Floating Gardens himself. (He couldn't have, so he must have read up at some point.) The threat to his family neutralized, he had gotten quieter, not suspicious. He had a little trouble with optic contact, and once Updraft saw Knock Out reach out one hand as if to tip his chin back in place. He stopped himself in time, but she could already see how he fussed over his children, concerned for them.

She remembered being small, and her old nurse smudging dirt off her cheek. It made her feel something unexplainable when she next looked at Knock Out.

Uppercut, it turned out, had the same creation day. "I guess not the same year," she said, picking up her last energon jelly.

"I was carrying you when Starscream was about in Rodion," Breakdown said calmly. Windjammer looked at him, disbelieving, but Breakdown didn't even look up. "You could have been twins."

Updraft had never celebrated her creation day. Starscream had told her it was a waste, though Skywarp had slipped her sweetstick bags for it when she was younger. But she returned Uppercut's smile and decided that, yes, this could matter to her, too.

When the energon was gone (better quality than she'd expected), she helped clear up. Knock Out seemed surprised.

"I didn't even know how to wash dishes until I left home," he said. "We had cleaning drones."

Uppercut's optics went wide. "You couldn't wash _dishes?_ "

Knock Out shrugged. "Vosians think such chores are beneath them there."

Updraft's plating burned with embarrassment. Skywarp and Thundercracker employed three small, speedy cleaning drones, but only one had functioned properly in Starscream's penthouse. He simply hadn't been home enough to worry about it, so Updraft had done her dishes. Better that than see him get upset about dirty ones.

Uppercut must have seen her face, and patted her arm. "You're fine," she said. "This just means you're not spoiled."

As Breakdown had said earlier: subjective. Updraft relaxed, and went back to scrubbing.

When she and Uppercut were almost done setting things away, she heard a dial turn. It crackled, in a way that would have made Skywarp replace the offending device on the spot.

There was no decent-sized screen that she could see, though, and only a voice wafted up from whatever Breakdown turned on. Uppercut frowned.

"Do we have to listen to gladiators tonight?" she said. "We have someone important over."

"Megatron only speaks once a week now," Breakdown said. "You kids can keep chatting."

"Let your carrier have this," Knock Out said. "He worked hard all day."

Uppercut shrugged, and gestured for Updraft to return to her old seat. "Windjammer said he's warmongering."

"Please," Knock Out snorted, as Windjammer through his hands up. "He's standing up for the poor. What do you think of Megatron, dear Updraft?"

Everyone looked at her expectantly. Apparently family division would cone in other ways.

"I've never heard of him," she said honestly. "He's not in any holovids?"

"Only when the newsreels deign to let him," Knock Out said. "I'm not surprised. What he calls for isn't what a high-ranking Vosian wants."

"Don't worry about it," Uppercut said quickly. "Right now we should get to know each other. Much more interesting."

This was a lot to take in at once, and Updraft was beginning to feel overwhelmed. Still, she steeled herself, because if the choice was between this and another Vosian party, she could hold her own here.

They settled in the front room, and did just what Uppercut asked. Windjammer worked in construction, and was paid relatively well—probably because he worked hours that would have made the twins' paint curl.

"It's because I can lift more than anyone," he told her, as if he were not the least bit proud of this. "And fly it up on the job sites."

"Well, you don't work two-shift days because you like it so much," Uppercut said, grinning. She turned to Updraft. "My brother needs shanix for the caste-tax. Well—I do, too, but _someone_ won't let me work."

"Too young!" Knock Out called. Uppercut rolled her optics.

"She helps Dad with the shop," Windjammer said. "Good at it, too. She wants to be a real doctor."

Updraft looked at them for a moment. "What…is the caste-tax?" she asked finally. She felt supremely sheltered.

Her new siblings stared at her, which didn't help. Updraft caught a few words of Breakdown's show in the silence, static and rough. Finally Uppercut shifted in her seat.

"I guess you don't have to worry about it," she said. "It's how people like us move up in the world."

"There's a fee that you can pay if you want to take an exam for university, or train for a better job," Windjammer said. "The one for the Elite Guard is steep."

"Medical school is steeper, though," Uppercut said. She'd folded her arms, almost protectively over herself. "I need real work to pay for it. And there's not even a guarantee I'll pass the test."

Updraft remembered her useless placement essays, her guaranteed spot in a prestigious flight academy. She had never thought about the lower castes _wanting_ to do things like that.

That had been stupid of her. Everyone wanted things to be better.

Windjammer smiled. "Our parents help us too," he said. "Knock Out says he didn't work so hard to keep us, just to see us stuck down here."

"Your family loves you," Updraft said. "I get that. It's important."

"The most important," Updraft agreed, her optics bright. "You live with your carrier, right? What's he like?"

Updraft stopped halfway through shrugging, because that would say it all. "He's my carrier," she said. "He…works a lot. I spend more time with his trine."

"What's a trine?" Uppercut asked. Windjammer nudged her.

"His conjunxes."

Updraft laughed. "Sometimes," she said. "They grew up together. Skywarp and Thundercracker are conjunx to each other, just not Starscream."

Uppercut frowned. "Vosians are confusing."

"You're half-Vosian," Updraft shot back, grinning. "So you're at least _half_ as confusing as we are."

"Are all the buildings really thousands of stories?" Windjammer asked. "I mean, I've read about it, but it seems impossible."

"Most of them," Updraft said. To her relief, they'd moved away from her family. It had made her plating crawl with discomfort, imagining this new family finding out how her other one operated.

No, she corrected. They weren't family just because they shared spark energy. Not even if Knock Out kept staring at her over his shoulder like he couldn't get enough of her, or how Uppercut felt like safety and closeness in a way Updraft couldn't explain. How Breakdown and Windjammer were gentle after all, more like Dreadwing and Skyquake than anything.

The radio show crackled out. Breakdown turned to them, optics bright in his slouching frame. The speech, or whatever he'd been listening to, seemed to have brightened him up.

"Well, kids, I need a recharge," he said, easing himself out of his chair. Knock Out patted his arm.

"Megatron went on a particularly long time tonight," he mused. "It must be the lull in the fighting season."

"No lull," Breakdown said. He stretched. "He's gotta fit it all into once a week, and the mech has a lot to say."

His bright optics fell on Updraft in recognition, like he'd nearly forgotten she was there. She stood up, wing nicking the table next to her.

"I'd better get going," she said. "I paid for a couple of nights, so I can be back tomorrow."

"We'll take you," Knock Out said. "Rodion after dark is a much rougher place. Windjammer, my dear, I know you worked two shifts—"

"I'll fly her," Windjammer said. He turned to Updraft and smiled. "Don't look at me like that. We don't go out alone at night, either."

Updraft was sure to fly slow. Windjammer was just as big in the air, and it was nothing like flying with fellow Seekers, but he had perfectly good control in the air. It certainly wasn't the clumsiness she'd expected (and should have known better than to expect, after today). Below them Knock Out and Uppercut drove, though they had to speed along to keep up. Smokescreen would have been jealous of her sire's sleek, red alt mode—Updraft saw the gleam from far above the road.

When she and Windjammer landed, the building was dark, and her access code blared red.

Uppercut laughed, though at Updraft's stricken look she tried to turn it into a cough.

"Are they closed?" she asked nervously. "I mean, it's a hotel, their site said I'd have access…"

"I think you were taken advantage of, my dear," Knock Out said gently. "A lot of these places wait for your things to be in the safe, then lock you out. Especially if you booked on the datanet out of town."

"That's illegal!" Updraft said angrily. She had pressed herself up against the dark doorway, trying to look inside.

"We used to have a place like this on our street," Uppercut said. "They own lots of buildings. They'll set up shop somewhere else."

"My polish," Updraft said, more faintly. Thank Primus she had kept her shanix cards on her. This time, Windjammer laughed.

"You _are_ Knock Out's daughter," he said.

"I've heard him say that exact thing in that exact voice," Uppercut said, grinning wide.

Updraft knew she wasn't being made fun of, not really. Still, her spark flared with embarrassment at her mistake.

"I'll make up a berth for you at home," Knock Out said. He touched one slender finger to his lips, in thought. "As for your polishes, we can work it out tomorrow. Are you willing to spend a night with us?"

She could say no, if she wanted. If she did, they would probably help her find somewhere safe to stay, and her shanix would cover it. These weren't rough people, not really, and maybe they would understand if she chose to turn then down.

So, she smiled.

"I'd like that," she said, and her spark glowed a little brighter at Knock Out's smile.

* * *

She woke up to noise. At first Updraft geared up to be unhappy about this—the light rail, on that morning's first full run, roared behind the row of buildings, and her optics snapped open, ready to ask _what the frag is going on in Starscream's room—_

She remembered where she was. As the transport's sounds faded away, she took stock of the wide berth she was lying in, and of Uppercut's soft vents out on the cot. Clearly the morning road didn't bother those living here. Still, that hadn't been all she'd heard. Straining her audials, she could hear voices downstairs. The low, warm one, one she had just met and now knew, made her smile, and she stretched back out on Uppercut's berth.

(She had insisted on the floor, but Uppercut had told her, gently, that it would have been incomprehensibly rude to let her. So here she was.)

It wasn't even dawn, and Updraft was about to roll over and get back to recharge when she worked out the second voice. Certainly not Breakdown, who in the evening Updraft had known him had proven he was a mech of few words. Windjammer was too soft-spoken, and worked so late. She guessed he was also in recharge, in the room next door to Uppercut's.

Now Knock Out had started scolding, and Updraft's curiosity got the better of her. As quietly as she could, she sat up and swung her legs over the edge. There wasn't a lot of room to creep about, especially not with Uppercut taking up most of the floor.

The door creaked, but Uppercut slept on. The next berth room had its door cracked open, and from inside she could hear soft, rumbling snores. (She teased Skyquake about his back home, when he happened to doze off in the penthouse.) The stairs creaked too, but Knock Out's scolding had gotten louder.

"One of these days you're going to need more than a replacement door," he said. "Really, I get the appeal, but these drag races-"

"You sound like my carrier," said the voice. "' _Legal racing or no racing at all!'_ "

Knock Out sniffed. "I ought to," he said. When Updraft crept closer, she could see him mixing a polish around the corner. "I'm a carrier myself, in case you've forgotten. _And_ a sire."

"Yeah, yeah. I won't stop racing for you."

She dared to take a look around the corner. Knock Out, focused on his work, hadn't seen her, and the mechanical with him was looking elsewhere. White and silver-grey, with big blue optics and a bright red chevron—

Wait—

"Smokescreen?"

She stepped all the way out, and both mechs looked up at her. Knock Out relaxed right way, and his instant, welcome smile made Updraft's spark shine a bit brighter.

"Well, good morning! Did the first train wake you up?" Right away he had put down his polish brush to step forward and greet her. "The racket does take some getting used to."

Smokescreen's optics went narrow as he turned around. Then they went wide, and bright, and Updraft watched his face break out into a wide grin. The door on his back was on what looked like a painful angle, but he still jumped out of his chair and moved towards her.

"Updraft?" he said. If she hadn't been certain who this was, she would have stepped back from his enthusiasm. "Is that really you?"

Knock Out frowned, intending to step between them, but Updraft was faster. She _shrieked_ , and raced forward into his arms.

"You're bigger than I—whoa!"

" _Updraft!_ "

She squealed again when Smokescreen lifted her off the ground, almost activating her thrusters in surprise. This was Smokey, alright—she had never heard his voice, but that new frame and that enthusiasm were unmistakable.

" _Hey!_ "

They all stopped. Knock Out, trying to step between his new charges, Updraft burying her face in Smokescreen's shoulder, and Smokescreen himself…who put her, gently, back on the floor.

Breakdown stood in the doorway, optics almost white in their brightness. Behind him stood Windjammer, rubbing the recharge from his optics. On the stairs they could hear Uppercut's heavy steps, rushing down.

"I thought someone was murdering our Seeker," Breakdown said, a growl in his voice. "Some of us are enjoying a little recharge before our shift."

Updraft's spark sank. She had thought Breakdown had warmed up to her the night before, when she had gotten a chance to explain. Maybe it had just been more Rodion politeness. Behind him, Windjammer smiled, and Updraft pulled her wings back up.

"I can explain," she said quickly. Knock Out was staring at her, and looked, slowly, from her to Smokescreen (whose optics were wide and bewildered, grin sliding off his face in surprise).

"Smokescreen, were you racing again?" asked Uppercut, voice still sleepy. "Your doorwing's half off your back…"

"Doesn't matter," he said quickly. He flashed that dazzling grin again Updraft's way. "What _does_ matter is knowing why my best pal isn't in Vos, but staying in my favourite modder's shop!"

Knock Out raised a brow. "How in the world do you two know each other?" he asked. His optics went narrow, trying to fit this together. "Does Starscream know about…?"

"No," Updraft said quickly. "We met when we were kids. I've seen pictures of his new frame." She flashed Smokescreen a grin. "You can spot that chevron from a mile away."

"He won't have it for long if he treats it like that," Breakdown said. He pointed at the scraped-up paint on Smokescreen's left side. "Your creators paid more than my yearly pay for you."

Smokescreen sighed, and Updraft swore she could recognize those dramatics, text or not. "Are you this fussy over all your clients?"

Knock Out huffed, reaching again for his tools. "Only the young, fool sparked ones that befriend my children. Uppercut—go wash up. Since we're all awake you can help fix this paint."

"Come wash with me," Uppercut said, tugging Updraft's arm. "Before our brother has a chance to use the hot water."

Updraft very much liked how Smokescreen's jaw dropped. It opened and closed a few times, reminding her of the cybercarp she'd once fed at a Vosian park.

"See you, Smokey," she said, knowing his doors would twitch at his childhood nickname. She let Uppercut lead her into the small washrack, and it was only when the hot water was sluicing over them that they looked at each other and burst into giggles.

"Who would have figured?" Uppercut said. One hand was still against the wall to steady herself. "Did you see his face? He looked like one of the cybercarp in Iacon Gardens!"

"I was _just_ thinking that!" Updraft said—and they'd both burst into giggles again. It was nice, to have someone to laugh with like this. She had never thought about it.

Uppercut's polish collection was sparse (Knock Out had said the good stuff was in the shop) but they were still shining when they finished. Uppercut seemed entirely unaware she was pretty, and uninterested in dwelling on her looks anyway. Nothing like a Seeker, who made sure _everyone_ noticed their beauty. Updraft tried not to seem like she was showing off as they went down the stairs.

Windjammer was reading as he sipped his cube, and given that he took up so much of the table, this was a comical sight. Breakdown seemed to be drinking without distraction, until Updraft noticed that the radio show was in again.

Uppercut made a face. "I don't know about that Megatron guy," she said in a low voice. She didn't continue, as Knock Out's voice called out from the shop.

"Sweet spot! I'm mixing the paint!"

"I'll eat after," Uppercut said quickly. Updraft (not sure she wanted to be left with a big, grumpy construction worker) followed, and sat opposite the others as they worked.

"Do I get energon?" Smokescreen asked, watching Updraft sip her breakfast. "I've been up all night, y'know. It burns up energy."

"Dunno," Updraft said. "It's not my house."

She and Smokescreen kept meeting optics, flashing each other grins between his winces and her sips.

"Ten shanix for breakfast," Knock Out said, screwing something delicate-looking in place.

Smokescreen's optics widened. "Ten shanix?! I'm your best customer! Like family!"

Knock Out snorted. "I don't seem to recall calling a mouthy, headstrong speedster _family_ at any point." Stepping back, he patted Smokescreen's shoulder. "All done. Uppercut will touch you up."

"Maybe I'll give you a loyalty perk," Updraft said. "All the candy left in my subspace."

Smokescreen scowled at her, and Updraft gave him her sweetest grin in return. It thrilled her spark, enough that she worried someone might see its joyful glow. Her sire was a mech thrilled to know her, and he knew her only friend. She had a sister and a brother, words she had never used in the context of herself. Maybe one day, after school, when she led a trine.

She dared to think she might just like this better.

"How _did_ you two meet each other?" Knock Out asked, returning with his own energon. "And how did you stay in touch, with Updraft in Vos?"

"I don't think those answers are as good as—whatever is going on here," Smokescreen said. He held his hands out for emphasis. "Your sire's here? _You're_ here? You didn't tell me?"

"I only worked it out yesterday, really," Updraft said. "Starscream could have lied on my record. I was too nervous to message you until I was sure."

"Well, it's awesome," Smokescreen said, chin in hands. "Knock Out's pretty much my racing mechanic. And Uppercut is the _nicest,_ and Windjammer? Oof. Handsome mech."

"Enough," Knock Out said, though he was smiling. "I need to open up for the day, so Updraft can tell me how you two know each other later."

Uppercut made a face. "I need to study," she said. "I forgot last night, with the excitement."

Updraft watched Knock Out scan Smokescreen's shanix card, as the sounds outside grew louder. "I saw a dispensary on my way here," Updraft said. "If Uppercut really has to work."

"I really, really have to, I'm afraid," she said. She had already pulled open a datapad and settled on a seat. "That place is okay. Go catch up."

"You _will_ be back, won't you?" Knock Out said. He paused, and Updraft thought of the night before, how his optics had never left her.

Updraft smiled. "I planned to stay two nights," she said. "I was gonna spend the day sightseeing, if…this went bad. I'll be back."

Knock Out's face softened. "Good to hear it. The shop door will be open."

Outside, Rodion bustled. The light rail roared past and Updraft didn't shrink back, stepping neatly around passersby. The bots of Rodion have them a wide berth, though—she and Smokescreen were expensive and shiny, especially next to these working mechs. It made her spark twinge with discomfort.

In the dispensary, they were served promptly, around a line that stretched the ship's length. Smokescreen leaned over her, his voice a whisper in her audial.

"Wouldn't have minded waiting," he murmured. "Lucky us."

"Hush," Updraft said. A group of factory mechs were staring at them, and she wished they had just stayed in line. "So. It's a small world after all."

Smokescreen grinned. "Sure is. The picture doesn't do your frame justice, y'know. The whole city was admiring you."

Updraft grimaced. "Good compliment, bad execution. I don't like being stared at."

"Really?" Smokescreen said. He popped one of the energon goodies into his mouth. His words were a little muffled around it. "You didn't mind your new sire staring."

"Different and you know it, don't be a slaghead." Updraft looked up, and relaxed at Smokescreen's frown. "Sorry. You look really good too, you know."

"I'm glad I kept the chevron," he said, looking her over again. "Red's a good colour."

The trine would have been in fits right now, watching her flirt with an Iacon speedster. They could have relaxed—she had no plans to tip over that edge, not when things were already wild.

They didn't talk much. That surprised Updraft at first, because there had been times over the years when they had fired off comm after comm, starved for company in their respective towers. Companionable silence was good too. Thundercracker said you didn't have to fill every quiet moment with chatter (but that might just have been when she and Skywarp were talking too much).

"How often do you race?" she asked, when they left the dispensary. In her hands was a bag of leftover energon candies.

Smokescreen shrugged. "Twice a week? I don't always get hurt, but Knock Out's good when I do."

"You come out of your way," Updraft said. Rodin's low buildings and soft colours were nothing like Iacon or Vos.

He grinned at her. "If I went to the doctor in Iacon, he'd tell my parents. I might lose my scholarship."

"Can't be much of a scholarship if _you_ earned it."

Smokescreen elbowed her, and she snickered. The morning crowd was starting to thin, as people reported to work and wherever else.

"So!" Smokescreen said, more cheerfully. "You still love flying? Love Vos?"

Updraft's spark felt darker, and she felt her wingtips droop.

"Of course I love flying," she said softly. Next to her, Smokescreen's steps slowed.

"Doesn't sound like it," he said. His voice had gone gentle.

"I do!" Updraft said, more firmly. "It's Vos I hate."

"Oh," Smokescreen said after a moment. "Still news to me. Don't you have a few nice mechs around you? Skywarp and Skyquake, and…some other guys whose names aren't that?"

Updraft shrugged. They were getting closer to Knock Out's shop, on its busy corner. "Of course. But I hate _Vos_ , not them. The expectations and the behaviour and the…the excess. I feel like I'm drowning in it."

Smokescreen sighed. Updraft thought he would scoff, because that had been Thundercracker's response to a similar confession. Yes, it could be bad, but she didn't have to buy into it. That was the gateway to opportunity, to put up with it.

Smokescreen surprised her.

"It feels weird going home sometimes, after coming here," he said. It was like he was admitting a crime. "The caste-tax is exempt from scholarships, you know. I'll never work as hard as Uppercut has to."

Smokescreen opened the shop door, and Updraft didn't even hear the bell ring. She hadn't even been thinking about the caste-tax—maybe about hers and Smokescreen's comfortable lives, but not what Uppercut and Windjammer had mentioned the night before.

Knock Out had had that once. The buildings so far off the ground, the wealth, the flight. He'd given it up for wheels, something that still rang of insanity in her Vosian brain.

She stopped thinking about it (though it still sat in the back of her min) and followed Smokescreen quickly through the waiting room, into Knock Out's shop. He was where they'd left him—only the project, and the half-finished cube on his desk, were new.

"You had a good catch-up?" he asked. It was the voice Updraft had only heard used on his children. Of which, technically, Updraft was now one. She smiled, and let her guard down an inch.

"It's a lot better than a long-range comm," she said. Knock Out smiled.

"I'm sure. Did you tell him all the details of your discovery?" He tilted his head towards Smokescreen, optics still on Updraft. All the while, his quick hands were working away.

"Not yet, actually," she said. "It...didn't come up."

Knock Out chuckled. "You two must lead very interesting lives, if your long-lost sire didn't make the cut."

In time she realized he was teasing her. She smiled, more shyly, as Smokescreen tapped her arm.

"I need to go," he said. Then, over their frequency, _comm me tonight._ He gave her shoulder a squeeze before stepping back, past Knock Out's work table. "I'll be back tomorrow, to see more of _my_ long-lost friend. Got any mods coming in?"

"Shoo," Knock Out said, the scolding technician again. "Nothing I'll attach to a bratty street racer. I do hope we see you as a guest tomorrow, not a patient."

"Me too!" Smokescreen said, optics bright. "See you, Updraft."

Updraft felt warmer even when they left, the odd feeling from before fading. Knock Out was still smiling, his hands not slowing down.

"I sent Uppercut back upstairs to do her studying," he said. "You're welcome to join her—unfortunately, my work rarely stops."

"I'd really like to talk to you later," Updraft said. "About...everything. My carrier."

Knock Out's hands paused. "I'll bet you do," he said softly. "I'm not this kind or smothering to most mechs, but I'm sure this has been a lot for you. Getting to know each other is plenty without all this enthusiasm."

"I like it," Updraft said, and she meant it. "I feel like...I don't know. Safe. I was worried you wouldn't want me."

She had to wonder how Knock Out looked at others, because it couldn't be the softness she saw. She couldn't let her guard down, but she was certain it was okay to enjoy the attention. She almost jumped at a knock on the workshop's door

"We'll have to talk later," Knock Out said. He reached out, and touched her shoulder quickly. "But be certain of this: you have been a _delightful_ surprise."

Updraft really did feel better as she headed upstairs.

She had dozed off, as Uppercut studied medical texts more complex than Updraft had ever even thought about. Uppercut hadn't seemed to mind ("there's a lot to take in"). When she had woken back up, on her half-sibling's berth, afternoon light streaming in, they'd talked about superficial things. Candy, novels, holovids. Things friends shared, not at all serious but somehow so important to know.

Uppercut had to rent books, and go to the public venue to see the holovids, but they liked many of the same ones. Romances and dramas, but also comedies, and adventure stories. Uppercut had been educated at home like her, but out of necessity, and had devoured books to stave off her loneliness.

"I always wanted someone to play with," Updraft said. She had been struck by how they'd read and studied for the same reasons, really—being alone, in a small space, had its toll on a sparklet. "You didn't play with Windjammer?"

"Of course I did," Uppercut said. Her textbook lay forgotten as she leaned over her seat's back. "Well, he was Kickstart then. He changed his name at upgrade. But it wasn't the same, when we saw each other all the time. We wanted to go to school."

"So did I," Updraft said. "I don't think Vos even has one for sparklets."

"We're few and far between," said Uppercut. "I think my parents must have paid a heck of a caste-tax to keep us."

Starscream probably would have paid to keep Updraft away from him, if he could have guaranteed his influence otherwise. But maybe her own guardians, _not_ Starscream, had fought over her, too.

Updraft felt like she had known this femme all her life, from the moments they had both been born, on the same day of the same calendar year. Sired by the same doting mech, and brought up in a warm house full of attention. Where someone had worked hard to keep them.

"It wasn't easy for you, was it," Uppercut said suddenly.

Updraft lifted her head, looking into Uppercut's wide red optics. Even seated, Updraft had to look up at her.

"What do you mean?" Updraft asked, genuinely confused.

Uppercut shrugged, looking away. "Sorry, sorry. Maybe that was rude. It just sounds...hard, up there by yourself. With just your carrier."

"Not just him," Updraft said. "Really, hardly him at all. I spent more time with his lieutenants and my bodyguards. I used to be really nervous around my carrier, actually!"

She was smiling as she said it, but Uppercut's shoulders had slumped. She didn't get it, but that was okay. How could anyone _get it_ the way Updraft did, when she was Starscream's only offspring?

"I can handle it," she found herself saying, to reassure both of them. "This is almost like a vacation for me, so I can go back to Vos all refreshed, right?"

"Yeah," Uppercut said softly. Her look had gone hard, studying Updraft for a long moment. "Yeah, and maybe we'll have more visits. You should tell me about your bodyguards. I definitely never had _those._ "

"Well," Updraft said cheerfully, "your carrier and your brother are huge. You wouldn't have needed them anyway."

 _To protect me from Starscream_ was not the answer she'd give Uppercut, not now. Not when this bot seemed to know her too well already. She didn't have to know everything yet.

Windjammer came home, then Breakdown, and the former sat on the floor (well, squeezed, between the berth and the desk) to chat before his own studies. Updraft swore Breakdown had smiled as he was leaving again, but she suspected he might deny it if someone had pointed it out.

When the shadows grew long again, after an early fueling, Updraft was treated to a professional polish.

"You didn't have to close early for me," she said, and meant it, but Knock Out waved his hand.

"The other two are sick of this treatment," he said. "Now, relax. It's not the expense you're used to, but I'm good at my job."

He was, and Updraft found herself thoroughly enjoying being the centre of attention. In Vos it had become significantly less enjoyable, but Knock Out had no malice in the way he talked to her and Uppercut, or in how he treated her frame. After a pleasant half-hour, he pointed to the corner, where a tub was inlaid in the floor. Updraft hadn't even noticed it until now.

Updraft had never had a _bath_ —Starscream had had their small washrack, and shower heads, and it was never something to be discussed. She hadn't even considered it an option. Still, watching it fill with hot, soapy water, she could imagine Starscream enjoying the luxury.

"The best part of the building," Knock Out said proudly. "We saved for years to put this in."

It was a beautiful tub, inlaid with some kind of light-reflecting crystal that made light sparkle in the water. Gingerly, Updraft dipped in a foot.

"And you're sure it won't wash off the polish?" she asked. Her gold accents gleamed from the detailing they'd given her—she didn't think they'd shone like that her first day in this frame.

"It sets it, actually," Uppercut said. She was at the work table, textbooks spread out over its surface now that the polishing was done. "We put a shimmering agent in there."

Updraft couldn't help but sigh in pleasure as she sank into the warm water, deep enough to come up to her neck. "I need one of these," she said. Knock Out chuckled.

"I would have thought Starscream would have one," he said. "I heard he lived quite well, even before you were born."

"Oh, he does," Updraft said. She had offlined her optics, to enjoy the sensation. "I don't think he's home enough to care about a bath."

"Mm. In that case, he's deprived you," Knock Out said. "No matter. A sire's job is to spoil their sparklet."

"I could get used to being spoiled," Updraft mumbled.

She couldn't imagine leaving, not at this moment. Rodion was rough around the edges, loud, messy...but lively, full of interesting corners. Close to glittering Iacon, which didn't seem so scary rebuilt and housing Smokescreen. And where her sire, and sister, and brother lived, all mechs who seemed thrilled to have her.

It was all too good to be true, of course. Her shuttle home left tomorrow morning, to drop her off before someone would find her gone. She would have comm frequencies, to keep in touch, but who knew when the next visit would be? The ache of her deception hung low beneath her spark, even knowing she was welcome in this building another night. It hurt to know that Skywarp and Thundercracker couldn't know her joy, or that she had left at all.

"It's such a shame you can't stay longer," Knock Out said. He'd begun to clean up his workspace as Updraft soaked. "We'll have that talk, you and I, before we recharge."

"I'd like that," Updraft said. She would have to try not to recharge in the warm water, relaxing as it was. "There's so much I want to ask you. More than will fit into one talk."

"I'm sure. It's all very—"

Updraft was jarred awake by a knock on the door. No, not a knock, but _pounding,_ enough that she sat up and Uppercut stood abruptly. Somehow she looked even bigger, on her guard, especially when the lock on the door was shaken.

"What in—" Knock Out frowned, turning towards the door. "My apologies, but the sign says _closed!_ We open back up at—"

There was a familiar purple _crack,_ inside the room, and Updraft's spark flared white.

She stood up in time to see Skywarp staring at her, his jaw set in a horrible, snarling way she had never seen before. Her mouth opened to explain, to say _anything,_ but no words came out as Skywarp shoved past Knock Out and strode towards her.

Terror gripped her. He looked like he was surveying a crime scene—the patient, funny mech who had raised her was nowhere in sight. She only realized he'd clicked a cuff around her wrist when he tugged it, forcing her to take a step out of the bath.

"I'm sorry, kiddo," he said. Updraft wanted to purge when she realized, right away, that he wasn't sorry at all. "This is for your own good."


	11. Chapter 11

_Oh, boy, it's a Christmas miracle! Been picking at this throughout the semester, and then it was getting so long that I ended up splitting it off at a better point. I really hope you guys enjoy it, and I appreciate folks sticking it out for an update!_

* * *

A few things happened at once.

Updraft must have choked out some kind of noise, maybe a sob, because Skywarp's optics went bright and he loosened his grip a fraction. Knock Out stepped forward, but Uppercut squared her shoulders. At her full height, optics blazing, Updraft would have been afraid of her. She was broader at the shoulders than even Dreadwing.

She remembered, at the same time, her comm. _Smokey, come back, there's trouble. Please._

"Excuse me," Uppercut said, her voice barely wavering. "Like my sire said, we're closed, and—"

"Uppercut," Knock Out said. "Upstairs."

The low, dark voice he used made Updraft shiver. Skywarp's optics had gone wide at Uppercut's perfect Vosian. (Deliberate, surely. Uppercut had spoken Standard all through the day.)

"Dad—"

"Upstairs this _instant._ "

Uppercut looked surprised. After a long moment she moved, slowly, towards the door. Skywarp didn't seem intent to stop her.

"Don't worry," Skywarp said. "We're not pressing charges on the dependent living in the house—"

"Charges?!" Updraft said, horrified. "Why would you press charges, I came here myself!"

"Coercion, kidnapping, anti-Functionist fraternizing," Skywarp said. "A few more. Starscream can make it happen."

Updraft wanted to strike him. Knock Out's optics were blazing, but he stood still next to them, waiting.

"I came here on my own," Updraft said. To her continued fury, her own voice wobbled. "Nobody _kidnapped_ me or made me do anything!"

"Yep, and we're going to have a _long_ talk about that," Skywarp said. He jangled the cuff, and Knock Out's optics became slits. "Once we're out of this slum, and back home."

There was a commotion outside the door. Updraft hardly heard them. The dark, choking horror she was feeling, pressing hard on her spark, was making it hard to concentrate. She tried to straighten up. Look proud.

"I'm not going _anywhere_ until you uncuff me," she said. She made sure to look in Skywarp's optics, so he could see how the brightness of her optics flickered, the coolant in their corners.

Skywarp relented. It must have pained him to hurt her, though she didn't feel sorry about it. If he was going to do something like this, he had better expect her anger. Slowly, optics on her, he unlocked the cuff. Updraft didn't move. This would be so much worse, for herself _and_ Knock Out, if she bolted.

When Skywarp reached for the door, Updraft raised her hand. He paused.

"If the trine comes here and starts arresting my sire or something, I'm going to make this miserable." To her relief, her voice had steadied. "You know I can. We're going to talk this out."

"Your—Primus. I still can't believe that wing traitor's your—"

"That's enough!" Updraft snapped. "I like him. I wanted to meet them. Go let them in, whatever, you already trespassed."

A message from Smokescreen, one she barely registered: _On my way. Are you hurt? Need to talk?_

Maybe she shouldn't have called him, not now, but it still eased her spark to know he'd be here. She hoped he could take care of himself once he was. Knock Out stepped a bit closer, as soon as Skywarp had turned his head away.

"Legally he can come in," he murmured. He sounded resigned. "If he has 'good reasoning and appropriate caste.'"

Updraft didn't have time to be disgusted by this. She flicked her wings up proudly and clamped down on her spark's anxious flare, watching Skywarp pull open the door.

"—I would have broken it down," Thundercracker was saying as he entered. Updraft willed herself to sink through the floor, but in the same second, his optics fell on her and flashed almost white.

"Updraft!" In a second he had rushed past Skywarp and taken her shoulders. She flinched, in spite of her best efforts. "Are you hurt? Are you sick?"

She blinked up at him, and his wings tensed visibly. His grip tightened.

"You must be," he said. "I don't see why else you'd go and do something so foolish."

His voice was soft and hoarse, the way it had been years ago in that hospital. They had been watching Skywarp hang limp in a CR chamber then. Updraft felt like how he'd looked—still and strung out. It was only when he turned and looked at Knock Out that she saw the same anger as Skywarp, _felt_ it radiate from his very spark. He dented her shoulder, and she ducked away.

"You," he said to Knock Out. "How dare you get involved where you're not wanted, roller."

"TC!" Updraft said, over Starscream's voice outside. He was snarling something at Breakdown—and at the big mech's low voice, stopped abruptly. Updraft would have paid to hear what he'd said.

"Seekers," Knock Out said carefully. His shoulders were held stiff, his optics dark red. "No one coerced this young bot into paying her visit. Let's talk about this, like reasonable mechs."

"Nothing about this is reasonable," Thundercracker said flatly. He was right, in Updraft's opinion, but not for the reasons he was thinking. "But…yes," he said, after a moment. "Sure. She doesn't seem happy about the notion of arresting you."

"Of course I'm not!" Updraft said angrily. Thundercracker and Skywarp both gave her long looks, and Updraft prayed she met them steadily.

" _Knock Out!"_

Starscream's shrill voice made them all wince, and Updraft really did step back when her carrier's wild optics raked over her and Knock Out. Knock Out stiffened. What had he ever seen in her carrier?

Starscream seemed to vibrate with his anger. Before Updraft could move out of the way, his claws had closed around her cockpit and yanked, pulling her forward. She yelped, and as Knock Out moved forward to intervene Starscream had shoved him, too.

"My finish!— I mean, good evening, Starscream," Knock Out ground out. He took a step back, and as Updraft stepped forward, ready to take her own shove, she saw Breakdown appear in the doorway. If nothing else, he could probably cow Starscream into leaving the family alone through bulk alone.

She was ready when Starscream grabbed her wrist, and twisted, though she still grit her teeth in pain.

" _This_ is why I kept this from you," her carrier hissed. "I worried you'd be a damn fool just like him—and look how right I was! Skywarp, for spark's sake, where are the cuffs!"

Skywarp, her very first ally, looked guilty. Updraft's spark folded in smaller.

"They were hurting her," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

Starscream leaned in close, optic to optic with Updraft. "You," he growled, "are going to hurt from a lot more than cuffs when I'm through with you."

"Starscream," Thundercracker said sharply. Knock Out's optics went bright, angry in an entirely different way. Starscream stared at her for another long moment, before he stepped, slowly, back.

"Don't hurt these people," Updraft said. "Please, they didn't do anything."

"They tried to steal you away from me!" Starscream snapped. "Oh, you might think they're talking sweet, but I know how low-castes are! He probably wants to sell your wings off for parts!"

Knock Out's jaw was set at the insult, but Breakdown's optics went narrow. Updraft gave her head a tiny shake and he nodded, near imperceptibly, in response.

She was not nearly in the same danger if she spoke up (even if her pounding spark disagreed).

"He said he met you in Rodion," Updraft said. "If it's such a big deal that he's low-caste, then why did you come here and frag him?"

Starscream choked. Thundercracker gasped " _Updraft!_ " and Skywarp almost nodded, as if he saw her point. She didn't dare turn and look at Knock Out's face.

"That's inappropriate to discuss!" Starscream said, still sputtering. "You were raised better than _that!_ "

Updraft shrugged. Fear and Starscream's draining presence kept her from doing much more, as Knock Out stepped, protectively, in front of her.

"You never told this child where she came from," he said, chin tilted up. Updraft could see the Seeker he'd once been, an aristocrat from above the world. "Of course she got curious. What did you expect, a complacent little fool you could push and pull?"

Starscream's optics were so bright that Updraft wondered if he'd popped an energon line. She wished the image could be satisfying.

"I don't want any trouble," Updraft said. That shake in her voice was infuriating. "No arresting anyone, and l'll be good. Please?"

"You'll be good whether or not I—"

"Starscream!" Updraft said. She hated the desperation, the squeak of her vocalizer. She tried not to look at Knock Out. "Carrier. I'm sorry. I disrespected our caste and ran away. Just don't cause trouble for them. Let's go."

Knock Out's brave, noble posture had slipped into something tired. Updraft couldn't bring herself to look directly at him, but she detected no disappointment, not in her. She should have known better than to think this could go well.

Better she be miserable and keep the trine from pressing those fake charges, though. Uppercut wouldn't be able to post bail for the others, and lawyers were expensive.

Uppercut had gone upstairs, but Updraft turned towards the inside door anyway. And of course, her new, brave sister hadn't really gone upstairs, and was watching them with… some kind of purpose. She shook her head, minutely, at Updraft, optics blazing.

Updraft turned away. Shame and fear roared around in her spark, but apparently, Uppercut was a lot like her. Enough that she might do something stupid, and Updraft definitely wasn't worth the trouble it would cause.

She didn't have time to worry too much about it. As if on cue, she heard the hum of an expensive engine, then its roar as Smokescreen _drove_ through the doorway, almost running Skywarp over before transforming, landing in the room's middle. His optics were wide and confused, taking in the whole baffling scene.

Maybe Updraft should have given him more details.

"Updraft?! Are you okay? These guys bothering you?"

She would have to put some kind of stop to people grabbing her shoulders. Still, she didn't shrink back, not even when those wild eyes blazed on her.

She heard Breakdown first. "My _door._ _ **"**_

"I hope you can pay for that," Knock Out said weakly. He had rested one hand against his work table, as some kind of support against the unfolding ridiculousness.

Smokescreen looked sheepish. "My bad." He stepped back from Updraft gingerly, optics now on Starscream. "That your carrier?"

"That would be me, yes," Starscream snapped. "And we were just leaving. Come now, Updraft."

"Hold up." Skywarp had lifted his hand, his optics dimmed in thought. His finger pointed, resting first on Updraft, then Smokescreen (who looked ready to _fight,_ and while Updraft appreciated the sentiment, this could not be allowed to get worse). "Who is _that?_ _ **"**_

"I met him yesterday," she said, wondering if the lie would stick. "He's a family friend."

 _Don't,_ she sent, to Smokescreen. _Just follow along. They'll hurt you._

Unfortunately for her, Thundercracker was staring now too. Calculating and serious, the way he looked when she had been little and causing trouble. It was far more unsettling now, when the trouble she was in was real.

"We do know him," he said, optics going bright with surprise.

Skywarp blinked. "We do?"

"From the hospital! The Iacon bombings!"

"The _what?_ " Knock Out cried. He looked amazed. Starscream looked as if he'd been struck.

"The Iacon—you! You're that kid who ran off with her!" Skywarp had been unconscious in that hospital, but he had seen Smokescreen before the disaster, as he and Updraft had disappeared. And Thundercracker would have told him everything.

Instead of attempting to prop her flimsy lie, Smokescreen stiffened. His doors stuck straight out from his back, quivering, and Updraft thought of how much they looked like wings.

"Yep!" he said proudly. "She's my friend, and I'll help her through anything!"

Updraft resisted the urge to slap him. For his own safety, because Starscream would surely do worse. Thundercracker was staring at her, disbelieving, and Updraft felt crushed by the weight of his disapproval.

"I got his comm frequency before he left," she said. She didn't mention Dreadwing, and prayed Smokescreen wouldn't either. "Everyone's...everyone has secrets, TC."

"A roller?" Thundercracker said, softly. This was not just about the comm, or this whole awful web, and it all made Updraft's spark roil in her chest. And _that_ implication was ridiculous, but she was no longer the person Thundercracker knew, not to him. That ached.

"Alright," Starscream snarled, reaching out again. "We're done here. The Enforcers are on their way, and-"

"-I'm an adult," Updraft snapped back. Smokescreen had opened his mouth, too, but something about the way Thundercracker was looking at her changed her voice. It was clear again, braver than she had thought she could manage. "I'm going to apologize, because you're wasting police time, and say I came here of my own accord. People simper at you because you've got money, but no one _really_ likes you. You can't bribe Rodion authorities."

There was a long silence. Her flash of bravery ebbed, the fear lapping back at it insistently. Those didn't feel like her words, but they were true. Truer than any of her wavering and desperation from minutes ago. Starscream's optics were almost white in their rage, and she could see the quiver in his wingtips.

"Updraft..." Skywarp said quietly, and she braced herself.

He was staring, but the shock in his optics was not TC's. The terrifying anger he'd teleported in with had died, to be replaced with...something else. It looked like he was formulating some idea, which was what usually happened when he was about to disagree with the trine. That rarely happened—not out loud, anyway.

Updraft really had turned the world upside down.

"…Well, you didn't end up in the hospital this time," Skywarp said, weakly. Updraft wondered if the mech who had broken in had been someone else. Painted like Skywarp, far angrier. Smokescreen's warm palm rested on her arm, and she tried not to lean into it. "Starscream—"

" _What?"_ Starscream and Thundercracker said, in unison. Skywarp held firm.

"They didn't hurt her. So maybe—"

"Oh," Starscream scoffed. "Now you back out? I'm sorry, weren't you discussing just an hour ago how you'd peel her sire's plating off to the protoform? _You_ volunteered to come get her! Are you really that soft once you get a look at her crying?"

"Sir—"

"Skywarp," Thundercracker said sharply. "Really, her sire's a _wing traitor._ You just don't like seeing her upset—"

"Oh, and you do?" Skywarp said. Updraft watched Starscream's hand quiver, and how he moved to raise it. To grab him, maybe. Strike him, because Updraft wasn't in reach.

"Well, you won't have to," Updraft said. She felt her wings straighten up, braver than she felt. "I changed my mind. I'm not going."

Starscream smiled—not the reaction she'd expected, or wanted. He took a step forward, heels clicking on the floor.

"Are you?" he purred. "You must have learned how to flip-flop from Skywarp. What about your sire? Or his family. I thought their safety was important to you?"

"Updraft," Knock Out said. Her spark was pounding too hard to tell if it as a warning or not. She glanced at him, and knew Uppercut's optics were still blazing from the doorway.

"This is pretty pathetic," Updraft said finally. "To bully a bunch of lower castes because your daughter has a mind of her own."

"You little, insolent, _Primus-forsaken—_ "

"Enough!" Smokescreen snapped. His doors were quivering, and Updraft knew he was scared, too. "Don't call your sparklet that. I thought you were well-bred."

Baiting Starscream was generally a mistake, but it was still satisfying to see her carrier's optics bug out of his head.

"I am higher rank than you will _ever_ be," Starscream said grimly. Updraft hated seeing Thundercracker acknowledge this with a nod. "And because of that, you're not good enough for my sparklet."

He had _that_ all wrong, too, but Updraft didn't touch it. Starscream was the last person who should have been talking down being near rollers.

Knock Out looked ready to sustain some kind of blow. She wondered if all low-caste had to tiptoe like this—or if it was learned, from falling so far.

No, that wasn't true. Dreadwing and Skyquake had Starscream cowed—and they were in his payroll. They were fearless in the face of caste, from Updraft's point of view. But they were not exactly settled and living quiet lives, either. They could have always left.

She would not settle either, no matter the consequences.

The knock on the wall jolted her. She felt her spark skip again, and Smokescreen step closer to her, when voices grew louder outside and a tall, straight-backed Enforcer stepped through the door. Breakdown followed behind, and to her relief he wasn't cuffed. He'd done nothing wrong, but how could she be sure, really?

"Officer," Knock Out said, tilting his head respectfully. Starscream smirked, as if he'd won some great prize and was trying to accept graciously.

"Thank you for arriving so promptly," her carrier simpered. Updraft wanted to purge. "Now, it would have been better if you had arrived _before,_ but-"

The Enforcer walked past Starscream and the trine, as if he wasn't there. Starscream and Thundercracker looked affronted—Skywarp looked at his feet. He stopped in front of Updraft and Smokescreen, who still looked ready to jump to her rescue any time.

"Are you Updraft of the Vosian Heights?" he asked. She almost just nodded dumbly, her vocalizer suddenly not working.

"Yes, officer," she said, just in time—her carrier's mouth had just opened. She had never spoken to the police. She had never had reason to.

"We were called in on charges related to kidnapping and anti-Functionism," he said, looking around. Starscream was puffed up, in contrast to Skywarp's dipped wings and dimmed optics. "Very serious. Do you understand that?"

"I do, sir," she said, straightening up. "And I'd like to apologize. I was absolutely not kidnapped."

"Surely you can see that this caste is _well_ below our own," Starscream said quickly. He stepped forward and reached out, towards Updraft's stepped back neatly, closer to Smokescreen, and was satisfied when Starscream's optics narrowed.

"I do see that," the Enforcer said calmly. It made Updraft prickle, but no one else seemed phased. It _was_ a fact, after all. "Who inhabits this building?"

"Myself," Knock Out said. "My conjux, and our grown sparklets." He tapped his wrist, and a small hologram displayed some kind of form. "The deed to our property."

The Enforcer raised a brow. "Ah. You own the property?"

"We do, yes," Knock Out said, a note of pride in his voice. "You'll find it's fully paid off."

"More for you to lose," she heard Thundercracker mumble. Her spark curdled. It didn't much help when the officer turned back to her, optics dialed up in brightness.

"You weren't coerced into coming here?" he asked. "Are you here for an upgrade?"

Updraft shook her head. She focused on his chevron—red, like Smokescreen's, and therefore comforting—and tried to call on more bravery. "No, officer. This is a personal visit, and I'm not in any danger."

"I was called by a very high caste, on the most direct emergency line," the Enforcer said. Updraft shivered, out to her wingtips. "You knew nothing about this."

"No, sir."

The Enforcer watched her, for a long moment, and she wondered how police figured out someone was lying. Then he turned to her carrier. Starscream's wings had drooped a fraction, not enough for a grounder to notice. It said everything to Updraft.

"I've just cross-referenced this young bot in the database," the officer said, still with that unruffled calm. "The documents sent to us to _aid our investigation_ are out of date. This bot has her flight license—which, I understand, grants independence to Vosian mechs."

"Well," Starscream said, as he did some combination of shaking and shrugging. "It was a recent exam, you understand. I often forget she's grown now, anyway, fast as time blows by—"

Thundercracker's face made it clear that he had not, in fact, known his trine leader had lied to police. Skywarp would not even look at Updraft, but at least he had the good graces to seem ashamed of himself.

The Enforcer, to his credit, appeared undeterred by high-castes and their whims. Updraft wondered how success on this planet correlated to that quality. "I understand your concern," he said patiently. "We will investigate this further—but I'm obligated by the Iacon Metropolitan Area to inform you that without immediate danger to the affected, or hold, legal or familial, over another mech, we cannot pursue arrest. You will have to this case up with my superiors, and I'll be forced to inform them of your failure to provide documentation-"

"I am the _Air Commander_ of Vos!" Starscream snapped. "Who are you, some beat cop?! I could ruin your life, and I'll do so with pleasure!"

Her comm crackled to life, and she forced herself not to look at Smokescreen when she read it. _What a charmer._

"Starscream," Thundercracker said, his voice holding a warning edge. "We don't have jurisdiction in this hemisphere."

"And our _connection's_ off-planet," Skywarp said, still looking at the wall. "Some Primal visit."

"Shut up, Skywarp," Starscream hissed.

Another comm, one Updraft barely read. _'No jurisdiction' means they haven't bribed enough people. They're gonna lose._

No one was going to _win,_ but it was satisfying to see Starscream flounder under such gentle pressure. This Enforcer was a brave mech, not to cow to her carrier's every whim...but maybe Starscream was not as important as she had always thought.

Vos was not Cybertron, after all.

Knock Out straightened up then, the wheels on his back stiffening. "Ah...is there anything else you need from us, officer?" he asked. He was behaving, for his sparklet's sakes. For her sake.

"Your documents appear to be in order," the Enforcer said. "As does your conduct. There's no evidence that this femme is being coerced." Knock Out seemed relieved—but moreso than any law-abiding citizen would be. Still, no one who repaired street racers was _fully_ in the embrace of the law. The officer ignored it.

"Will that be all?" he asked. There was a ruffle of impatience in his voice now.

"Yes," Updraft said, before Starscream could say anything. He opened his big mouth, naturally, but Thundercracker's hand rested firmly on his shoulder. He shook his head firmly, and Starscream's wings slumped. In a moment, before Updraft had even noticed him doing it, the officer had thrust out an official-looking datapad, a red warning flashing brightly on the screen. Updraft made a mental note of the officer's name, embossed above the notice. Maybe Prowl of Petrex could be trusted.

"Your caste prevents a court date, naturally," He said. Knock Out's face said all that needed to be about _that._ "But that should be paid promptly."

"But—"

Updraft swore she heard the charging of a blaster, and saw Knock Out tense. It cut off abruptly, and she could almost feel their collective alarm tense. Whose weapon had that been? The officer seemed undeterred. She had never thought of her family carrying blasters, but they were, technically, military.

There was a long, terse silence, but no blasters were pulled. No shots were fired. The Iacon explosion, for one second, roared in Updraft's head.

She was dazed, watching Thundercracker speak quietly and furiously with the Enforcer. Finally he left, the doors on his back pricked up in annoyance, and she thought Starscream would stamp his heel on the ground.

"Let's _go,_ " he said petulantly. Updraft looked at him, in the optics, and shook her head.

"I told you no," she said, her wings flicking as she said it. "Not with you. Maybe not ever."

"Don't be silly," Thundercracker said, a worried edge to his voice. "You're starting school soon."

Updraft vented in deeply. She didn't dare spare a glance Uppercut's way, or Smokescreen's, in case this turned on them.

"I'll just have to go to school somewhere else," she said.

It could have been something out of one of Starscream's books—the wealthy, determined heir giving up everything. Being _distinctly_ un-Vosian, just as her sire once had. Updraft wasn't doing it for _more_ money, or romance, or both, as those storybook mechs always did.

Well...maybe she was leaving for love. Just not the sort of love Starscream read about.

"You can't," Thundercracker said. His optics had gone bright, desperate. "Why would you _want_ to?"

Updraft took another deep vent in. Then one back out, trying to force her spark calm. Starscream and Skywarp's wild eyes—wild, she guessed, for different reasons—were entirely too distracting.

"I can't live in Vos," she said. "You might be okay with navigating that world, but I—I'm not. And—him," she said, pointing at Starscream. Her carrier's jaw dropped, and she ignored it. "You of all people ought to understand. _Him."_

"You can come live with us," Thundercracker said immediately, as if Updraft hadn't dreamed of that for years and had never once gotten close. His wings had dipped as low as the joints would allow. "And soon you'll be in the dorms, and then you'll be educated! Independent! Why would you want to live _here?_ "

"To be away from Vos," she said again, her voice wavering. How could anyone so entwined with Starscream expect to be independent? "And from _him!_ I can't live that life. I'll build one from here."

"Your condition—" Thundercracker started. Updraft held out her hand, feeling Uppercut's gaze turn curious.

"—Is probably in remission," she said. "The upgrade probably took care of it, or was I the only one listening to the doctor?"

"This is what I get," Starscream snarled, "for fragging a _wing traitor._ "

"Yeah," Updraft said, rounding on him. Her spark pounded again, now with purpose. "It is. I didn't ask to be your daughter."

"Updraft—" Thundercracker started, and she rounded on him.

"Don't you dare! These people were good to me, and you came here and made their lives hell for the day as payment!" She could _feel_ her biolights and eyes flickering with her anger, and it seemed possible that she would be a flashing, angry mess for the rest of her life. Thundercracker sighed.

"Maybe your carrier overreacted," he said. He should have known that from the start, but it do her no good now to protest. "We were worried about you. We…we've almost lost you before."

Updraft had a short history of running off, and each time had ended in a disaster. Maybe she shouldn't blame Thundercracker for _that_ (but it certainly wouldn't absolve him of anything else).

And where were Dreadwing and Skyquake? Her lifelong, consistent saviours and defenders were nowhere in sight, and had turned off their long distance comma.. It occurred to her that Starscream had the clout in Vos to _take care_ of them, and she shuddered.

She wasn't a child now, though. She was a steely eyed, full-grown Seeker, and she would not take this.

"You're not _losing_ me," she said finally. "See? I'm right here, and I'm fine. And before a half hour ago I probably would have come home."

Skywarp opened his mouth to say something then, but Updraft simply turning his way was enough to silence him.

"Don't throw your life away," Thundercracker said, more desperately. "Don't throw _us_ away."

"I—" Updraft paused, confused. "I'm not throwing _you_ away."

Behind Thundercracker, Starscream's optics still burned—though he was peering over top of an official-looking datapad. His fine, courtesy of the Iacon Metropolitan Area. It did give her a twinge of satisfaction to see it.

"Then what else are you doing?" Skywarp asked weakly. When Updraft looked at him sharply, he gave his head a shake. "I don't understand."

"I'm only…moving out," she said after a moment. "And I think it was a longer time coming than I guessed."

 _Atta girl,_ Smokescreen commed. She wished she could thank him without losing her focus—or crying uncontrollably.

Now she looked at Knock Out. He was rooted to the same spot, but his optics were blazing. He gave her a firm, tiny nod. But her sister spoke first.

"High-castes can live wherever they like," she said. Updraft saw Breakdown's optics go wide, in what must have been a caregiver's universal _"stop that this instant"_ stare. "And my _sister_ is welcome to stay."

"You're not good enough to be her _servant,_ " Thundercracker snapped, and Updraft's spark broke. (Who was this mech in front of her?)

"TC!" she snapped back, at the same moment as Skywarp. She didn't acknowledge that, or even try to look thankful. She remembered, years ago in Iacon, how Skywarp had laughed about the Taxonomy and assured Updraft they were superior.

Knock Out looked behind him sharply, Uppercut's way. Updraft willed her to be careful.

"Well," Updraft said, "if they'll have me, no one's my servant. They're family."

" _We_ are your family!" Starscream burst out. He gestured, wildly, to his trine. "Spark isn't everything!"

"No," Updraft shot back. "It's not, carrier."

That surprised him into silence. Skywarp opened his mouth, held it, but closed in the next moment. Fine. If he didn't have the bolts to stick up for her, she'd stick up for herself.

"I'm not going, Thundercracker." He might not be her family by spark, but Updraft knew who had raised her. She didn't so much as glance at Starscream. "I'll figure things out. Just trust me—"

"I can't!" Thundercracker's hands gripped her shoulders. His fingers had always been sharpened—but they had never scraped her paint. "I can't let you ruin your life. Okay? I love you too much to stand by and let you do this."

Skywarp stiffened. So did Updraft, and she looked away.

"Let me go."

He did, after a few seconds. Smokescreen's engine hummed—he looked ready to throw a punch. Thundercracker took a step back, his wingtips quivering. Behind him, Starscream's furious silence and Skywarp's despair mingled, choking the air in that small room.

Thundercracker opened his mouth once, twice. Each time he paused, and Updraft's spark thrummed desperately. The thrill of speaking her mind and the surge of protectiveness for her sire, for everything he'd worked for, was drowned out by this knife-edged, so very Vosian anger. Finally, he sighed.

"If you no longer want to be a Vosian," he said quietly, "then you won't be. But let me tell you, Updraft, that you're going to lose everything."

"Thundercracker—"

"Shut up, Skywarp." Thundercracker's voice was hard and grieving, all at once. Starscream's brows had shot up on his face. Skywarp's wings twitched. "We can't—associate, with the lower castes. With you, if you stay."

He was bluffing, surely. Trying to get her to let fear take over and back down.

He had learned to put her before Starscream. Hadn't he?

Starscream puffed up. "That'll be it, then." Starscream was an expert at hiding his emotions, as Seekers went, but Updraft saw his wings quiver, too. But of course, because how much money had he just sunk into her new frame, into tears of her education?

Updraft faced them, and waited for Skywarp to say something. The room, full of people, suddenly seemed too empty to stand. After a moment, she tipped her chin up, and prayed she looked proud.

"Then that's it," she said. "I'm not going back."

Thundercracker's optics went wide for half a second. Despairing, just like Skywarp's. Starscream's plating ruffled, as if he hadn't believed she'd really say no. Maybe he should have been paying better attention.

Still, in a moment he was the icy Air Commander. Now it was clear in his optics why Vosians bent to his will. Thundercracker slumped.

"Waste of time," Starscream said icily. "Worthless, fragging Enforcers. And you! A true waste of my life. My spark should have-"

"Starscream," Thundercracker said wearily. "Let's go, so you can pay your damn fine."

She wondered if Knock Out's parents had acted like he was dead when he left them. Or if he'd had other friends that he'd trust. Who he'd thought would understand.

Skywarp would no longer look her way. His wings drooped as far as they could go, but Thundercracker turned him around with a firm hand. She watched Skywarp's mouth open, then close, having not said anything in her defence, and Starscream stalk past Breakdown and out the mangled doorframe.

They all stood there a moment.

"Wow," Smokescreen said finally. Breakdown's optics flashed towards him.

"You're paying for that," he said, jerking his thumb towards the door. It had an impressive, Smokescreen-shaped hole through both the door and its frame.

"Yeah," Smokescreen said, without argument. That would have surprised her, on a better day. Smokescreen did like to ruffle plating. "Yeah, I've got it."

"Starscream should pay," Uppercut said harshly. "Smokey was just trying to help."

"Well, he won't," Smokescreen said grimly. Their voices sounded far away, fading off on the wings of her leaving Seekers. She shuddered, enough that Smokescreen turned to her in surprise.

"You okay?" he asked, gently. He sounded far away, too, and Updraft turned to the wall.

"What a stupid question," Breakdown said. Updraft's step stumbled, and in a moment Knock Out had reached out to steady her, too.

"Your biolights look pale," he said. "Sit down, I'll get some energon and—"

"I'm fine," she spat. She would have felt guilty pushing him back, if not for the ache threatening to snuff out her very spark. Before coolant could threaten to prickle her optics, or her biolights could dim any darker, she pushed past Uppercut's frame, up the rickety staircase to the next floor. Windjammer's voice was behind her now, too, rough with anger, but she couldn't make out what he was saying. His family would surely fill him in on the incident.

Updraft dropped down onto the roof, and sobbed.

* * *

Knock Out had had an idea of where he would find Updraft. To be fair, she couldn't go far in their building, and he hadn't heard the telltale sound of her thrusters taking off. Primus willing, she was still here, and they could talk.

Uppercut pointed, silently, to the roof, so Knock Out climbed up the narrow stairwell outside. Updraft had broken the window lock to reach it. He could fix it easily, and perhaps it would be best not to point it out. There would be no use piling on more guilt.

She had tucked herself into one corner behind the solvent tank, face turned up towards the stars. Knock Out was no longer a Seeker, but out of habit and coding he still found himself looking that way, too. Sometimes it helped.

He sat himself down gingerly next to her, mindful of the rough roofing metal against his finish. Updraft's wings were pulled in as close as she could get them, her arms around her knees. Her optics were dimmed low, but her biolights shone too bright.

"It's cold up here," Knock Out said gently. "Frost does form on our frames, you know. Not an urban legend."

"I'm fine," she said. Her voice was hard, with the edge of a growl. Covering her grief with anger. Knock Out had been there.

"You're welcome to stay as long as you like, you know," he said after a moment. "Until you've decided what you'd like to do, and after that."

Somehow, Updraft managed to curl herself smaller. "I want to go home," she said, her voice smaller. "I don't…it was stupid of me to come here. I threw everything away."

She was parroting who had raised her, of course. Perfectly natural, and it only pained Knock Out a little to hear it. It wasn't as if they didn't enjoy each other's company—even if Updraft hadn't been _his_ (and, admittedly, that meant the most) he could have seen her as a favoured customer. Young, rich, in need of guidance…and not particularly fussed about caste. Surely that worthless trine hadn't taught her those values.

"No sparklet should face blame for wanting to meet their sire," Knock Out said. "Especially when they were such a secret."

He longed to put an arm around her shoulders—she was the only one if his children small enough to pull close—but spooking her into _really_ flying off wasn't what he wanted. The rest of Rodion was not so safe as Knock Out's shop.

Updraft looked anguished. "I thought Skywarp and Thundercracker would understand," she said. Her voice had softened, and now it wobbled. "They…they know. They know how hard it was."

The anger rolled in again, from deep within Knock Out's spark and over the rest of his internals. Nothing should ever have been _hard_ for a child of Knock Out's. He had planned for he and Breakdown to suffer enough for any of his children. Starscream didn't deserve what he'd been given.

"It's already quite a maze to navigate, growing up in Vos," Knock Out mused. "I can't imagine it multiplied by a factor of Starscream. I didn't finish my math requirements, you see, leaving Vos so young."

Updraft smiled faintly, and Knock Out considered it a victory. She turned her head upwards again, squinting those lovely red optics. (Just like Uppercut's—how funny, when Primus worked things out that way.)

"It's hard to see the stars here," she said. "Dust season just ended in Vos, so the skies were clear again."

Knock Out nodded. "It's the factories," he said. "The skies of the Vosian Heights are artificially cleared, you know, so bots can enjoy the view. The chemicals to do it are no better than what belches out of those smokestacks."

"It's artificially filtered, though," Updraft said. "When I was in Lower Vos I couldn't vent at all."

Lower Vos—Knock Out tried not to stare at her. Starscream and his pampered trine would never have allowed her down there. His daughter must have seen his face, and grinned.

"I ran away once," she said, optics all mischief. "Starscream had stopped letting his trine come by, so I decided I would shuttle across town. I got lost."

Knock Out's optics went wide. "Lost? You could have been killed!" he said, more sternly than he expected. "It seems like you've always been exploring, at any rate. No wonder you found your way to us."

Updraft's smile turned shy. Her wings had tipped upwards again, just a fraction. "It never bothered me that I didn't have a sire, not until I started dealing with Vos. The real Vos, with society and expectations." Her wings dipped again. "I hated it. But I was still going to go back."

An outside observer would have seen Updraft's earlier fire, and been certain she'd been waiting for her moment of escape. She had been, but Knock Out could see that she hadn't yet realized it. Better that she had realized it herself than have it pushed upon her, the way Knock Out had suffered.

His daughter looked at him again. "I guess this is that talk we were gonna have," she said finally. "It's not really going the way I thought."

"No," Knock Out agreed. "Not quite."

After a long moment, he decided to rest his hand over Updraft's nearest one. She flinched, and Knock Out almost pulled back, but he felt her fingers curl around his a moment later.

"Thanks," she said quietly. "For the place to stay."

Knock Out smiled. He got another good look at her lovely face, and those wide optics. The doctor who had built her had done a fine job. He doubted he cod gave done better.

"How good it is to know you," he said finally, and meant it. "I wish the circumstances were better, but I mean that. I'm pleased to have you with me."

Updraft smiled too. Knock Out looked up, trying to pick out constellations through the bluish smog.

Eventually his daughter eased herself up with a quiet "goodnight," stretching her wings, but Knock Out waited until she would be safely downstairs to follow.

Windjammer could rewrite their budget, with a fifth mech in the house. They would manage, like they always did, and soon that fifth mech would fit in easily. Updraft had that vital flicker of determination. The very same one that had gotten Knock Out out of the city of clouds, and certainly not learned. If she had learned anything from Vos, it was how to sit and do as she was told.

Clearly the lesson hadn't stuck, and thank Primus it hadn't.

And that was Knock Out's fault, for finding anything attractive about her carrier to begin with. If _he_ had carried her…

…well, things would be different. It did no one any good to dwell on what could have been, especially when _what could have been_ could very well have been Updraft hungry, or sick, clinging to his leg in worry while he tried to count out the rent.

Breakdown had narrowed his optics at a datapad, taking up the whole berth where he sprawled. A charming sight, if one didn't want a space to recharge. He moved aside only slightly, enough for Knock Out to ease himself in under his arm.

"A little light reading?" Knock Out murmured. Breakdown grinned.

"It's _Towards Peace,_ " he said. "Megatronus's book. Not quite on my reading level, to be honest. How's the kid?"

"Going to bed," Knock Out said. He had shuttered his optics. "She'll be subdued at first, I think. Be kind."

Breakdown lowered his book. "Like I'd be anything else?" When Knock Out cracked one optic open, Breakdown stared, then sighed. "Gotta keep your guard up, doc, that's all. But she seems okay."

"Who knew you'd be so right about Starscream?" Knock Out mused, shutting his optic again. "Actually... scratch that. I should have known, too. Poor sparklet."

Breakdown hmmphed, picking his datapad back up. His free hand stroked lazily at Knock Out's shoulder, familiar and comforting. "She would've just been sired by someone else, if that mech's so careless. Guess it's better she's here with you, than have some deadbeat waiting. And your girl's got no shortage of those."

"Be kind to her," Knock Out murmured, again. "You're from a different world, you know. She needs to adapt."

Breakdown snorted, but squeezed Knock Out's shoulder in the same moment. "She'd better do it fast. She's not street smart yet, not like ours."

"She'll learn. I did." The hard way, with a fresh alt mode to learn the ins and outs of and no shanix to his name. Any bot of his spark _would_ have a better go of it than he had—not that there had been many other directions to go in than up.

"My girl does like her," Breakdown said after a moment. "So there's that."

"Mm. The ones you carry are the ones that tug at your spark," Knock Out mused. Warm and comfortable, despite their awful evening, he was beginning to drift off. "Unless you're Starscream, apparently."

Or his own carrier, a mech Knock Out normally refused to think about.

"Early morning tomorrow," Breakdown said, as if they weren't always. Knock Out heard him put his book aside. "I boarded up the door. Smokescreen left shanix."

That was a good young mech, too. More money than he knew what to do with, but a good spark. He would be good for Updraft, too, if their history meant anything.

He recharged poorly, and sometime in the night Knock Out found himself awake again. A short trip down the hall (leaving Breakdown snoring peacefully), and he found himself in the doorway of Uppercut's room. Updraft had curled herself against the wall, wings dipped low, but her vents were restful. Two large, red optics glowed out at him from the cot.

"Go to sleep," Knock Out murmured. Uppercut's optics went brighter.

"I can't," she whispered. "I'm too excited."

"It's not so exciting for Updraft," he said, though there was a smile in his voice. "Be kind. She has a hard road ahead." Or flight path. Whatever she'd want to call it.

"Don't worry," Uppercut said. He heard the sound of her shifting on her cot." I have a good feeling. We'll be okay."

Hard to believe, after the events of the day. Knock Out would have to trust in that.


	12. Chapter 12

_Wow, been awhile! To be honest I shouldn't even be squeezing out the writing time, not when I'm this busy in the Real World realm! This will probably be the last "full length" chapter of Fledgling, though there are two more updates to look forward to in the pipeline—and just maybe a sequel! I definitely have some oneshot plans as well._

 _The feedback and attention given to this story seriously means the world to me, and I think it's the reason I really threw myself in to keep it up! Well, that and the self-indulgence that is all these OCs and robot babies._

 _One more thing: I commissioned the fantastic Herzspalter for a sketch of our girl, and look at how gorgeous she is! Here's a link (replace spaces with periods):_ _pbs twimg com/media/C4AzzGrXUAADMsy jpg_

* * *

She adapted.

At first she only went through the motions of the day. Uppercut was always close behind, Updraft's spark constricting whenever she remembered the mail that would arrive. Just what it would mean from those who had loved her. The caste-tax was a daunting sum, and she couldn't imagine paying it just to be educated. How had Uppercut stood this?

Smokescreen promised a reference to the Elite Guard Academy, and his continued presence helped. Not that he could visit as often, with classes starting, but he seemed to take every chance he could to fuel with them, or even just appear at the door, offering an audial to listen and his voice to reassure. He was the only long distance comm that would still answer her, at any rate. Often she tried Skywarp and Thundercracker, and the twins, and it was as if they had never been there at all.

When a month passed and no caste change went through, she began to get truly anxious. Her wings twitched too much to fly straight, which made school seem even farther than it had been before. Her family (her new family, she supposed) were as kind as they'd been the first night. At some point her own berth appeared, so Uppercut could stay off the floor, and she felt too guilty to ask for the cost.

When she offered to pay some sort of rent, to earn her keep, Knock Out waved his hand.

"I don't charge my children," he said, and wouldn't hear another word about it. "Put your earnings towards school, when you're ready to get them. That's all I ask."

There were no earnings yet, not until her new standing was a certainty. Knock Out understood—he had been through this, too—but it couldn't seem to make the stone in her spark smaller.

Weeks passed this way. When she shuddered at morning energon because Breakdown passed her, he threw up his hands.

"If that spiteful slagger hasn't punished you yet, he never will," he said. "You're safe here, and you're lucky."

"Starscream doesn't seem much for the long haul," Knock Out mused. "Flighty, that one."

"Literally," Windjammer said. Uppercut stifled her giggle.

Breakdown left, and Updraft resisted putting her head in her hands. Uppercut's touch on her arm didn't make her flinch, but all the same she resisted the urge to push her off. If Updraft got lucky, Uppercut still had a hell of a tax to pay.

"Breakdown just hates to see you mope," Knock Out said, across the table. "So do I. It will get easier."

She did her best not to mope that day (or wonder why it mattered to Breakdown at all). She even searched the job boards for awhile before helping Uppercut sort parts, then tools, then files.

"Let's meet Dad on his way home," Uppercut said. "He walks after Main Street to save fuel."

Updraft followed, without argument. If she had to keep floating through life, not knowing what to do next, it felt better to at least float after Uppercut. Maybe it was that they had both been alive exactly the same number of days, or just some bond between sisters. Updraft couldn't tell, but she was relieved to feel safer. The guilt of pushing her away made her ache.

"Are you feeling better?" Uppercut asked. The sun shone red on them, warm for that time of year, and people around them seemed cheerful enough.

Updraft tried to force her wings up higher. "Not really," she said after a moment. Anything else would make her new, attentive sister push, pressure Updraft would crack under. "Maybe I'll feel better once it's all over with."

"It's not so bad being middle of the castes, you know," Uppercut said. She didn't sound the least bit insulted, but Updraft's spark still dropped. "But I don't think that's your biggest fear."

"It's hard," Updraft said quietly. "Knowing they're through with me, I mean. I just want it done with so I can stop thinking about them."

"It might not be that easy to stop thinking about them," Uppercut said gently. "Maybe they'll change their minds about staying in touch."

Updraft doubted that, but it was a nice thought. Even just a ping goodnight would be better than nothing.

A second later, Uppercut had surged ahead, spotting Breakdown above the crowd. Updraft moved slower, knowing who Breakdown would really want to see. After he greeted Uppercut, though, he turned to Updraft.

"Something for you," he said when he got there, handing her a small, sleek datapad. His free arm was draped over Uppercut's shoulders. "Sender's the Vosian Hall of Records."

Updraft said nothing on their walk back, staring at the destiny held in her hands. Just how low had Starscream bumped her? The Taxonomy would only let her alt fall so far—short of selling her entirely. (But he wouldn't, would he? Updraft had shuddered to read about modern slavery in her lessons.)

Even after all this, Updraft couldn't imagine Skywarp and Thundercracker letting her become a gladiator's plaything or go offworld. Her fingers trembled on the pad, and when Uppercut put her hand on her arm Updraft only shuddered more deeply.

She made sure to be seated, in the good chair, when she turned it on. The family acted as if nothing at all had arrived, as she entered her information and confirmed her identity. The documents appeared. Updraft took in a deep, shuddering vent, and read.

 _Updraft of the Vosian Heights_

 _Function: Class 1 Fighter/To be Determined_

 _Place of Residency: Rodion_

"To be Determined" meant she hadn't found a job, or been educated. The other part was an assumption, and when the trine was young their papers had said the same thing.

This was all between the neat, gold border of the high castes.

Her fingers fumbling, she hit the button at the datapad's side. Her new ID card popped out, and she wondered why they had wasted their time printing one when nothing had changed. Her picture was the same, too, and felt like it had been taken a thousand years ago.

Uppercut leaned when she came back in, trying to get a look at Updraft's mail. Knock Out tapped her shoulder in admonishment, and she quickly returned to setting the table. (Updraft had found that Knock Out's household did this most nights—sat down together with energon, talked about their days, and almost always did so civilly. She would have liked it, if she'd been in a better place.) Updraft set her things down on the counter, before sliding into her place next to Uppercut.

"Nothing changed," she said finally, as energon was set in front of her. "They even put in my new city."

"That's just what Dad said would happen!" Uppercut said brightly. "That's good. Now you won't have to worry about tuition at all."

Updraft's spark eased with relief, but the rest of her still ran cool. Surely Skywarp and Thundercracker had had a hand in that, or else Starscream had lost his nerve. She should have felt good, all the way through.

Knock Out patted her hand. His affection for her had come easily, for whatever reason—it seemed he was always reaching out to touch her. She was getting used to it.

"This will be better," he agreed. "Your carrier probably lost his nerve when it came time to punish you."

But Knock Out's parents hadn't hesitated. Had that come down to the wheels, or were there really people out there worse than Starscream?

Anyway, it had likely been Thundercracker who had lost his nerve, not her carrier, and he had ensured she had the best documents possible. She should have thanked him, if he would take it.

"I'm not hungry," she said quietly. She wanted to go flying, or nap, anything to clear her head.

Knock Out looked at her in understanding, but Breakdown raised his brow.

"That's good energon you're wasting," he said flatly. Shame burned her spark. They were living comfortably, certainly, but fuel didn't go down the drain here.

"I'll take it," Windjammer said. This was a kindness to her—but he was huge, worked long shifts, and probably still ravenous. Big mechs would have big tanks.

Updraft pushed it towards him and got up quickly, stepping past Breakdown before she had to do anything like meet his eyes.

"It's not going to waste," she heard Uppercut say as she shut the door. In moments she had gotten outside and into the air, her thrusters roaring. If she wasn't happy, at least they seemed to be.

Flying helped. Even when it felt like a certainty that it wouldn't, not this time, the wind cleared her head and lightened her wings. She turned, neatly, before finding a good current and rising fully above the skyline.

She might not have to worry about tuition, but going to school and enjoying her opportunities still seemed to leave a sour taste. Uppercut could pass the medical exam easily. Windjammer? He was strong, sure, but she suspected he could put the Elite Guard into order within weeks of they handed him the office key. He was soft-spoken, well read, and could be even more so with more than a home education. Form didn't dictate function for either of them.

Another way Updraft had gotten lucky. She fit neatly into the Taxonomy, in the way Megatronus the gladiator railed against.

She also had—

Primus. The _money._

She sped up, and did a sharp turn around a building that would have made Thundercracker blow a gasket.

Updraft couldn't fix her siblings' situations, not really, but what she'd brought might be a balm on it.

She flew until the sun was dipping below the skyline, and her energon levels flashed yellow in warning. Uppercut was sitting on the stoop as she touched back down, optics pointed to the sky, and Updraft waved as she alighted.

"It's getting late," she said. "Dad worries when it's dark, if we're not back."

Updraft stretched. Her optics were brighter, her biolights not flickering. She had calmed down after all. "Well, I'm back."

"Feel better?"

The radio was on, and Megatronus's voice crackled out faintly. He spoke against Functionism, as always. Updraft wasn't entirely sure what kept her new siblings so wary of him. If you asked her, he wanted them to go to school, too. She nodded.

"Yeah," she said. "I thought about some things. You'll want to hear them."

Uppercut had to help with the dishes, but Updraft ran to their room as soon as she could. She pulled an envelope out of her new drawer (containing her polishes, one blank datapad, and a half-finished bag of sweetsticks) to look, for the first time, at her funds.

A few thousand shanix was very little in Vos. Her first polish set alone sold for over 5,000 of the credits on the datanet. Her upgrade gifts were modest, by Starscream's standards, and she had been saving them in case the Enforcers had come back. They hadn't, and the money sat untouched, on shining cards in her drawer.

It made her spark roll with guilt, to have hoarded even a little money. She should have given it to Knock Out first thing.

She hadn't seen the household books, but she guessed that Rodion's cost of living would be different. It was one of those things she wished she could have asked Dreadwing about—then pushed down, regretting thinking of Dreadwing at all. There was so she didn't know about _living,_ the way others did. The trine probably would have continued to see to expenses until Updraft had a professional position.

If it really wasn't much, it was still something. What would Updraft do with it now?

She waited for the radio program to end first, sipping evening energon in the next room. Uppercut said nothing about the cards in her hands, but she knew her optics were raking them with interest. Megatronus was discussing money, too. Fair payment for hard work.

"The rich of this planet will soon topple from their weight," he said. "The high castes may have the shanix, and the silver, and the slaves—but _we_ have the numbers."

"Damn straight," Breakdown said. The program crackled away, and Updraft wondered if she had already toppled. It seemed to her that she had landed on her feet.

"What have you got there?" Knock Out asked her, stepping into the next room. He had kept glancing her way after she'd returned, but she knew better than to interrupt Megatronus. Breakdown did the dishes, a position Updraft knew well as one that could hear everything. She held up the cards.

"I thought there wasn't a lot on these," she said. The way Knock Out's brows shot up, she knew instantly that she had been wrong. "And I didn't know what to do at first, so I just put them away."

"They're gold currency cards," Uppercut said faintly. She looked at Knock Out. "They are, right? They're gold."

"That they are," Knock Out said. "You didn't steal these, did you? From your carrier?"

"No," she said. "They were upgrade gifts. But you should use them for the caste-tax."

Knock Out held out his hands, and let Updraft gently place the cards into them. "You must have known these were _gold_ currency cards," he said.

Updraft shrugged. Her faceplate felt hot, and she realized, again, how sheltered she really was.

"They're not full," she said quietly. "I mean. I had to spend some of it when I got to Rodion."

Knock Out stared at her, not in disbelief, but...something else. Thank Primus for Uppercut.

"You're not wrong," her sister said, and Breakdown's chuckle was easy to hear from the kitchen. Knock Out managed to smile.

"It's been quite awhile since I carried more than a copper card," he said. "This won't cover the whole tax, my dear. But it certainly helps."

"I'll get a job, too," Updraft said. Suddenly she felt eager, her spark lightened. She was _helping._ "Carrying messages, something. I'm fast."

Breakdown's head appeared around the door. "We're not ones for charity, Knock Out."

Her spark pulsed fainter. But, she told herself, she was Updraft of the Vosian Heights. She had seized her own destiny, and stumbled on good luck as a result. She could pass this on.

"It's family," she said, with as much confidence as she could muster. "Windjammer and Uppercut are my brother and sister through Knock Out. And I don't want to pick any school until they can start with me, it's just not fair. So it's not charity."

Uppercut nodded eagerly, and Updraft wondered how much of that was defense of her and how much was her desire to go to school. How could she blame her for the latter? They all watched Breakdown's face, and on Knock Out's was a warning. Not to take this away.

He sighed. "I carried you," he said to Uppercut. "Still hard to say no."

Uppercut's smile could have split her face. Knock Out slumped too, the cards still clutched tightly in his hands.

"How lucky I am to have you," he said to Updraft, and it was almost like she hadn't lost much at all.

She lay down for recharge satisfied, her spark thrumming calmer than it had in weeks. Calm enough that when a comm came through, on a frequency she had nearly forgotten, her spark beat quickened—but she didn't burst into tears.

 _All is well,_ Dreadwing's message said. _We are so proud of you, little one. And we look after you still._

Kaon was nearer to Vos than to Rodion, in the southern hemisphere. A visit, at least right now, was probably out of the question.

No, she decided, drifting off and pinging Dreadwing back. She hadn't been the one to make a mistake.

* * *

"You look happier," Smokescreen said.

The two of them were lying on the roof, a large bag of sweetsticks between them. Smokescreen, an expert at peace offerings, always made sure Knock Out got one or two before he and Updraft disappeared.

Updraft smiled, stretching. Her wings were flat out under her, almost touching the edges of Smokescreen's doors. "I am, I think. I'm adjusting."

"Good," he said. He was muffled, talking with his mouth half-full. "We've been worried about you."

She glanced over, part of a sweetstick in her mouth. "You and...?"

"Your family, obviously. I have your brother's and sister's comms, y'know." He grinned at her, crooked. "We gossip."

"I'm surprised you have time to gossip," she said. "What with your busy schedule, drag racing and dancing and all."

"And studying!" Smokescreen said, as Updraft giggled. "You could come dancing with me, you know. I keep inviting you."

"You know I don't like parties."

"Totally different," Smokescreen said. "You can just dance and have fun. And I don't go to the Towers clubs with the rich kids."

"I'll see," Updraft said. It _did_ sound nice, to lose herself in music for awhile. Out with a friend, somewhere other than Knock Out's familiar roof. If she and Uppercut brought the radio upstairs and listened too loudly, Windjammer would have to knock on the wall, and it just ended in the two of them feeling bad. She resolved that if she went with Smokescreen, she would get Uppercut away from her books and dancing, too.

Her comm beeped, and she sat up on her elbows. Smokescreen didn't even budge, stuffing two more candies in his mouth where he lay. His optics were closed, so he didn't see Updraft stiffen, or her optics go bright.

 _Can you meet me tonight?_

She hadn't deleted Skywarp's comm frequency, or Thundercracker's. There were still older, loving messages there that on hard days she went back to. Skywarp had clearly been reluctant to leave her…but he had still left, and this lighting up of a new message made her wish she had purged her comm entirely.

Smokescreen looked up when he heard the sweets bag crackle, and sat up when he saw Updraft's hand gripping it too tightly. Her sharpened fingers had punctured it.

"Are you okay?" he asked, sitting right up. Updraft stared at him, before letting her wings sink down and trying to collect herself.

"Skywarp just commed," she said flatly. "He wants me to meet him."

"Oh," Smokescreen said. He was quiet for a moment, before turning back to Updraft with bright optics. "Did you tell him to frag off?"

The message sat in her comm, unacknowledged. Smokescreen sat up fully as she sat still, biting off the end of another sweetstick.

"Your carrier might have sent him," Smokescreen said, mouth half-full. "Are you worried he might try to snatch you?"

Updraft shrugged, trying to seem noncommittal. "He felt bad when he left," she said after a moment. "I could tell."

Smokescreen snorted. "He'd better feel bad, after what he did. If you go see him, I'm coming with you."

Updraft tilted her head, but it still made her spark go warm to hear him say that. She'd gotten lucky, with such a loyal friend. "You'd do that? You have to study."

Smokescreen grinned, and wiggled his doors once. "History of Iacon is basically a joke class. I know that guy wouldn't hurt you, but you should still have backup."

Updraft sighed. "So I shouldn't tell him to frag off? Bit of a heel turn there."

"Hey, I think you should." Smokescreen shrugged, his doors flicking with the motion. "But he's _your_ weird trine uncle. If you want to meet him, I'll support you."

Her expression softened, and she knew her wings dipped in relief. "You're a good friend."

Smokescreen's optics flashed bright, and he grinned. "I know."

She pinged Skywarp's comm, knowing her optics flickered nervously. _Are you in Rodion? Did Starscream send you?_

He replied almost immediately. Updraft wondered for a brief, nervous moment, if he was watching her right now, but Skywarp wasn't exactly stealthy. Surely she would have seen him fly above them, or seen the purple _crack_ of his teleport.

 _No, I'm slipping out of Iacon. No Starscream, no TC, just me here to talk. Can you meet at sunset?_

That was a little later than Knock Out claimed was safe, but she was her own bot. That was the whole point of this, wasn't it? _I guess. There's a cafe on Quartex Street that's busy._

There was a beat of no acknowledgment, and she and Smokescreen exchanged a look before her comm pinged again.

 _Sunset it is._

The line closed, and a deep sigh escaped her vents.

"What a mess," Smokescreen said, after a moment. He was frowned, his brows furrowed. "And it's a little on me, so I promise, I'll try and help you out."

"It's not," Updraft said. "But like I said, you're still a good friend. And also, someone—who's not my sire, or his conjux—should probably know where we're going."

Uppercut had been almost universally supportive of what Updraft did, since she had moved in. That inexplicable, warm connection between them (could it really be because they were born the same day, or just coincidence?) made her protective, and often defensive of what Updraft chose to get up to, or how she dealt with her new life. She also knew how much Skywarp and Thundercracker had meant to her. Whispered conversations, and the occasional comm tap, were cathartic. It was like having a best friend, only nearby. Not just a comm frequency.

Now, though, Uppercut was frowning, her hands on her hips as she stared down Updraft and Smokescreen.

"I thought you were done with those Vosians," she said, as if her own sire wasn't one through and through. Her optics were narrowed. Updraft would have been a bit intimidated by the figure she cut, had she been anyone else.

Updraft shrugged. She tried to stare bravely at her sister, because she had already resolved to do this. Smokescreen was already looking out the window next to them to avoid it all, the coward.

"I _am_ done," she said. "But if they hadn't cut ties completely, I wouldn't have stopped _talking_ to them. I just didn't want to live like them."

Uppercut's frown deepened for a moment, and Updraft geared up to argue. Then her sister sighed. Smokescreen turned back, optics a fraction brighter.

"Based on what I know about you, I probably can't stop this," Uppercut said. Her optics glinted with mischief. "If I sit on you, maybe."

Updraft sighed, but now there was a smile tugging at her optics. "We just want to make sure someone knows where we are. Just in case."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Uppercut said. "I'm not letting you two hotheads go on your own. You're not that big and scary, if there's trouble."

"I don't think he's here to _snatch_ me again," she said. She hoped, as her spark rolled with worry again. "And, Cutter, my uncle is a trained military flier. He's armed all the time. Don't do anything stupid."

Uppercut grinned, though Updraft caught her biolights flashing nervously. "I'm not the one I'm worried about. Just an extra pair of optics on the situation."

"I'll meet you guys later, then," Smokescreen said, the first words out of his vocalizer since they'd come down from the roof. "Do a few laps around town. Some recon."

Updraft snorted. "Please. But, fine, weirdo. We'll see you later."

Halfway out the door, Smokescreen paused. He glanced back at Uppercut. "Can _I_ call you Cutter?"

Uppercut folded her arms, frowning again. "Absolutely not."

Smokescreen shrugged, and he was gone. Uppercut sighed, pinching her nasal ridge in a very Breakdown gesture, before dropping back into her seat.

"You're bad influences on each other," she said, turning on a datapad and not really looking at it.

Updraft grinned, dropping onto the cot next to her. "We always have been. Even long distance—one time he convinced me to climb up to the balcony above ours, for a 'better view.' My bodyguard almost peeled off my paint for it." There was no need to remind Uppercut just how high up that would be. "Us, together? Forget it."

"That Seeker mentioned the Iacon bombings when he was here," Uppercut said. Her chair creaked, and Updraft had already noted that it had been built with a much smaller mech in mind. "And there was so much going on I never asked. Were you _really_ right there?"

"Yep," Updraft said. Now she was the one looking out the window, and not at her sister. "We snuck off from the adults during the celebration, and instead of fireworks..." she shrugged, rather than finish her sentence. "It was really bad. I know Smokey had nightmares for a long time."

Uppercut's big hand was warm on the back of her neck, and comforting. Her optics were gentle, and Updraft was reminded of what a good doctor she'd be. "You've had a heck of a life, Draft. And it just keeps coming, doesn't it?"

Updraft chuckled, though it wasn't very funny. "I think we're doing better at slowing it down."

* * *

Windjammer had caught the three of them on their way out, and simply stood in the doorway until he learned where all the "kids" were going off to at that hour. Breakdown was working the late shift, and Knock Out had simply waved them off when he deemed three a safe number to travel in. Of course, Windjammer had sussed out that where they were going was not innocuous.

"If you don't tell me," he said carefully, leaning in the doorway, "I'll just have to ask Dad."

Uppercut confessed, already antsy, and that was why Updraft's brother followed them out, his massive frame ensuring everyone gave them a wide berth. Updraft had wondered just how much Windjammer's childhood frame had squeezed his spark to make Knock Out build such a big one for adulthood. He made Dreadwing and Skyquake look diminutive.

Updraft had picked this café because it was well-it, inexpensive…and busy, so no one nosey would seek to overhear her business. Quiet places tended to echo secrets.

"Drinks on me," she heard Smokescreen say, as the others stepped past her. She scanned the crowd—she had seen enough of Smokescreen staring at Windjammer on their way over. (Her friend _did_ have a taste for fliers, as the trine had guessed. Just not the flier they'd thought.)

Updraft walked by them as they got themselves a table, scanning the crowd for…ah. There he was.

Up on the balcony, as far from the ground as possible. A drink on the table in front of him, and his feet up on the table's edge. He looked bored, examining his sharpened fingers. Updraft remember being very small, watching him polish those hands for an event, and how mesmerized she'd been. He hadn't looked any different then than he did now.

Skywarp only saw her when she ascended the stairs. His wings flared out, an emotional response Starscream would disapprove of, and his optics glowed so bright that Updraft had to squint.

It made her spark ache with missing him. Quickly, before she could lose her nerve, she crossed the patio and took the second seat at his table.

Before either of them could speak (though she guessed there would have been a beat of silence anyway) a server appeared, refilling Skywarp's engex without a word.

"Would like anything, miss?" he asked. Updraft wondered what he must think of them, two expensive-looking Vosians in a middling Rodion bar.

Maybe he thought nothing of it, though. Smokescreen seemed perfectly comfortable in this city below his world, and Updraft had seen alt modes of all kinds by this point. Perhaps two Vosians weren't even something to blink at.

"An energon spritzer will be fine, thank you," she said. Drinking wasn't something she was used to.

"That's on my tab," Skywarp said. "Thanks."

He was polite, and for that Updraft was grateful. He hadn't always been such to lower castes around her. This time he probably wanted to be in her good graces.

Well, she had come to give him a chance.

"I can pay for it," she said, as the server turned and left. Skywarp's brows shot up. He leaned a fraction closer, and a smile tugged at his mouth.

"My treat," he said. "Keep your shanix. Speaking of…"

He pushed something across the table to her. A credits chip, shining new. Platinum, when she had only carried gold. Updraft stared at it, before pressing her hands tight in her lap.

"I'm not starving, you know," she said. "You didn't just come to bribe me, did you?"

Skywarp's whole frame flashed hurt, and Updraft regretted her choice of words.

"I already told you I'm not here to take you back," he said. His optics were serious in a way she had rarely seen, and his fingers gripped the table's edge like it had the answers he needed. "I wanted to check in on you. Can't be sure you're getting everything you need."

Updraft took a deep vent in, and out. Being angry would do no one any good. Slowly, she took the chip, putting it away. The sum on it might well be mind-boggling.

"Don't get upset," she said, more quietly, "but you guys didn't seem concerned with that when you left. I seem to remember being told that if I left Vos, I'd lose _everything._ "

Skywarp's optics flickered. He looked away, hands now in tight fists in front of him.

"We were stupid," he said, voice holding a ragged edge. "We were stupid, and I should never have listened to your carrier. I'm so sorry, Updraft."

At least he was admitting it. She wondered why it was so sharp in her tanks when she agreed with him.

The server returned with Updraft's drink, and to refill Skywarp's. Updraft worked hard to keep her wings still and betray as little emotion as she could.

Skywarp had always been on her side.

"It's…"

Updraft paused. Skywarp was watching her, all seriousness. Really listening, like he could when he worked hard to do it.

"It's not okay," she said finally. "I shouldn't lie to you. But I accept your apology."

She finally reached out, and pressed her hand over Skywarp's. His smile was a relief, soft and uncharacteristic as it was.

"Best I can expect, I think," he said. He forced a chuckle. "I've been thinking a lot about it—a lot—and I think you were right. You'd never reach your full wingspan tethered to the aerie."

It was…profound, for Skywarp. Updraft bit the inside of her cheek as Skywarp squeezed her hand, in both of his.

"Have you been studying?" she asked, corner of her mouth twitching. "I could swear that's from _Vosian Flightpath_."

"I _did_ get through my degree. That's by Current," Skywarp said. His optics glowed with more warmth. "I probably read that over TC's shoulder, though."

Updraft grinned, and she felt Skywarp's hands relax. So he still loved her, and that had to mean something. He was trying.

"Is Thundercracker still in Vos?" Updraft asked carefully. She was almost afraid to know the answer. Maybe he was angry enough to avoid the whole northern hemisphere.

Skywarp shook his head. "Nah, he's in Iacon with us. They think I'm running patrols."

"Oh," was all she could say at first. "He wouldn't drop my caste, so I guess there's that."

Skywarp shrugged, visibly uncomfortable. "He told Starscream if he did we would break trine. But I think he can do better than that."

Updraft stared at him. She pulled her hand back, knowing her optics must look overly round.

"Break trine," she repeated. When Skywarp nodded, she felt her tanks twist. "But…he doesn't know you're here?"

She wasn't sure she had ever seen Skywarp look so sad.

"He knew Starscream wouldn't do that and deal with the scandal," he said, shrugging helplessly. Mechs who broke trine almost never formed a new one, after all. "But TC knows how it would look, if he was always in Rodion, visiting someone who left. He can't get past it."

Not even for her, she who Thundercracker had shifted his whole life around for. Updraft shivered, and Skywarp reached again for her hand.

"But, Updraft," he said. His brows went up, his optics a fraction wider. "You're right, okay? This caste stuff, it's not worth you being gone. It sucks."

She wasn't sure how she felt about this serious Skywarp. His edge of anger was gone, and he'd put his good humour aside. Because he loved her. He missed her, badly.

And he knew he'd been wrong. He was trying.

"Yeah," she said. Her fingers curled around his. "It does. Does TC know you feel that way?

Skywarp grimaced. "Does he ever," he said, more softly. "He won't admit that he might miss you more than he likes our position. I've yelled about it enough."

"'Warp," she said, wings drooping. "Don't worry about making him change. He's stubborn."

"It rubbed off on you," Skywarp said, his grin returning for a second. "Most people don't get how it feels to be apart. It's a hell of a lot easier to be set in your ways when you belong."

Updraft tilted her head, because Skywarp was as Vosian as the best of them. More willing to goof off, maybe, but—

Skywarp chuckled. He let go of her hands, to sit back and stretch. "I'm an outlier, Updraft. It took a long time for mechs to accept what I am. And slaggers are _still_ suspicious."

"But Thundercracker gets it," Updraft said. She had never thought about that before. "Even Starscream gets it."

"They knew me before we found out," Skywarp said. He shrugged, like it was nothing. "Your carrier's spiteful, but TC might just figure it out. You're still his little girl."

A lump rose up in her throat. She thought, again, of how warm she had felt whenever Thundercracker had been proud of her. Skywarp finally reached back, to take a sip of his drink, and sighed. He sounded grown-up.

"Well," Skywarp said, with a note of forced cheerfulness. "I came all this way to check on you, and I've done almost no checking! You look well-looked after, at least."

Updraft smiled. She tried to relax. "My sire's good to me, roller or not."

"You _are_ as gorgeous as ever," Skywarp conceded. He grinned, optics flashing. "Plating pristine, biolights bright…wing maintenance? Thruster clearance?"

"Better than ever. He used to be a Seeker himself," Updraft said. "Careful, Skywarp. You sound like TC."

He grinned at her, but his optics were sad. "Someone has to. He's acting like a sparklet."

When he turned to look over the balcony, Updraft followed his gaze to Smokescreen and her siblings. Seated below them, with a clear view of her and Skywarp. Uppercut waved, and smiled, though Windjammer's optics were bright with suspicion as they watched her. Smokescreen wasn't looking—he was telling Windjammer something, and she wondered if his optics had been off her brother all night.

"You've got a whole little entourage," Skywarp said. His mouth twitched mischievously. "Did you ask them to come?"

Updraft shook her head. "They insisted," she said. "Just in case."

"How about that," Skywarp said, flicking his wings. "Caste really can't be everything, eh? Wings, either. They like you 'cause they like you."

It was like he had some big revelation. If he was learning, Updraft wouldn't object. She finally took a sip of her drink (which she had let go flat) before flashing her own grin.

"Don't let any Functionists hear you say that," she said. "Did Starscream kick up a fuss about the fine, by the way?"

"'Course," Skywarp said. He drummed his fingers on the table, shifting in his seat, and Updraft knew their visit was almost over. "But he paid it. TC's pretty upset he lied to the cops."

He took a last long drink, like he had to steel his nerves. Updraft reached out quickly, intent on giving his hand one more squeeze.

"I'd say maybe he learned a lesson, but…" Updraft shrugged. Her smile was sad. "Thank you. For coming. I figured you'd given up on me."

"On you?" Skywarp, quickly, had covered both hands with his own. "Never. I just want you to be happy—I learned my lesson."

"Then you're doing better," Updraft said.

When they'd paid (Skywarp still insisted on covering hers), and stood, she put her arms around him and squeezed. He stiffened for a split second, but found himself, letting his arms settle around her.

"Maybe your sire will upgrade you taller," he teased. Updraft managed to elbow his side, from where she was.

"I'm good," she said, when she'd pulled back, and let go. "It's getting late for us, so we'd better get going."

"Fly safe," Skywarp said gently. "And TC would remind you, study hard."

Smokescreen was talking animatedly when she descended the balcony, and Windjammer was resting his cheek in his hand, apparently now listening intently. Uppercut jumped up as Updraft approached. Updraft could almost touch her relief.

"It went okay?" she asked. When Updraft nodded, she visibly relaxed. "Thank Primus. I've been playing third wheel to these two all night."

"Excuse me," Windjammer said, sounding affronted.

"It's called _quality time_ ," Smokescreen said cheerfully. His plating was warm as he brushed past Updraft, and she made a mental note to tease him immensely about this. It was hard not to giggle when she met Uppercut's optics again.

Skywarp was gone when she looked back at the balcony. She couldn't see any Seekers ahead of her, and he would have slipped out as soon as she'd been distracted. Maybe, soon, she could see him again, but for the moment she tried to push the idea out of her start.

But it was hard to be really glad he came, with the ache in her spark.

Knock Out was still up when they slipped in, peering over the top of a datapad. Updraft wondered if they'd be interrogated, when it had gotten so dark, but her sire only shifted in his seat.

"Good to see you kids having fun," he said. "As long as you stay together."

Windjammer just grinned. "No one bothers me."

"I know, darling," Knock Out said. There was humour in his voice. "Exactly why you stick close to your sisters out there. Now get to recharge."

They did as they were told, Updraft's wings relaxed with her relief. It was only when she and Uppercut had finished in the washrack, lying back on their berths, that Updraft pulled out the platinum card.

"Another contribution to the school fund," she whispered. In the dim light she handed it over, and watched her sister's optics go wide with shock.

"He just... _gave this_ to you?" Uppercut whispered. When Updraft nodded, she looked as if she might cry.

"I don't need it," Updraft said. It made her uncomfortable, knowing how easily shanix had come to them in Vos. "Who needs that much money? When you're a big-shot doctor you'll make it all back."

"You will, too," Uppercut said. She took Updraft's hand in her bigger one and squeezed, optics bright. "When you're a big-shot flight officer."

Breakdown might be unhappy, about more charity. Skywarp might be unhappy too, to know that Updraft was just giving his money away, but it was hers to do with how she wanted. And what she wanted to make this new sister happy, because nothing had made her spark glow quite like it.

For once, her dreams were good.

* * *

"I've had a thought," Windjammer said.

Updraft looked up from her textbook. (One of Uppercut's, and incomprehensible, but something to read.) "You have a lot of those."

Windjammer smiled, but continued on. "It's kind of not what we were planning, but with a certain Seeker and her resulting windfalls...it's been on my mind."

He meant her money. Updraft huffed, hunching lower over her datapad. It did no good to try and fit in when people kept pointing out the differences. Behind her, Uppercut looked up.

"Windjammer," their sister said, a warning. Updraft turned in surprise, and was surprised to see her scowling, arms folded over her chest.

They could hear Breakdown washing dishes a room over, and Knock Out's drill power down in the shop. So they were listening, too. Smokescreen, leaning in the doorway (he must have thought it was a cool looking pose), watched them all with interest.

"Well, out with it," Updraft said. "Or I'll start to worry the idea is 'kick Updraft out, we've got that Vosian cash.'"

Windjammer shot her a withering look. Then he rolled his shoulders, wings straightening up.

"I was doing the books this morning," he said carefully. "And just to see the numbers—"

"Primus," Uppercut said, interrupting. She was still frowning, and Updraft wasn't sure why. "You and your numbers."

" _Okay,_ " Windjammer said, more sharply. Breakdown's washing slowed in the next room. "As I was saying, I put together the money Updraft gave us, plus what we've put aside for Uppercut and I. And if we pool my savings…" He shrugged. A smile tugged at his lips. "Caste-tax paid in full, Uppercut passes her test, becomes a doctor."

"And you're back at square one," Uppercut said. "Absolutely not. I don't want to go if you can't."

"Well, maybe I want my little sister to get her education," Windjammer said, shifting on his feet. "Both of them, actually. I'll manage."

"I haven't watched you work all those double shifts for nothing," Uppercut snapped, and Updraft straightened in surprise at her tone. "You deserve to take your exams just as much. Keep your shanix."

 _Why is it free for us?_ Smokescreen said to Updraft, over the comm. _It makes no sense._

 _It does, though,_ Updraft said grimly, watching her siblings glare each other down. _They want people in the place they gave them. Megatronus talks about it sometimes._

"Stalemate, eh?"

Breakdown appeared in the doorway, and they all sat up. Updraft would have preferred to sink down, but her sire's conjux tended to demand attention from presence alone.

"No," Uppercut said. She folded her arms, instantly on the defensive. "Not if I refuse to do it."

Breakdown looked over at Windjammer, optics steady. As if none of this had to do with him. "You talk to your carrier about this?" he asked.

Windjammer's big frame seemed to sink down, just a fraction.

"I told it's just a thought I had," he said. "I made her an offer of the money I've earned—"

"And we've helped you earn," Breakdown interrupted. "You can do what you want with it, but Uppercut's stubborn. The plan was to start together."

Windjammer's optics blazed brighter. "And, you know what? That was fine before. Now we're luckier. I don't want my sister to wait another decade just to be educated, not when she deserves better."

Uppercut put her hand on Updraft's arm, and she started. Why was she being comforted? If anything, this was Updraft's fault for changing the whole dynamic, and causing the conflict with her stupid money.

"Yeah," Breakdown said. He shifted on his feet. "She does. And you do too, kid."

"Excuse me," Smokescreen said suddenly. They all whipped around to look at him, and he straightened up. Updraft could see where his training was sticking to him.

"Yeah?" Breakdown asked, after a moment. Smokescreen chattered and fooled them, and Knock Out, but Updraft had noticed him straightened up around Breakdown. He was no-nonsense, a bit like Dreadwing that way.

"I might have an idea," Smokescreen said. "About the Elite Guard Academy, anyway, and it wouldn't cost a lot of money."

"We're listening," Uppercut said. Over the comm, to Updraft: _I_ do _want to go to school. But it has to be fair._

Smokescreen's doors perked up on his back, and Updraft's mouth quirked in spite of herself.

"The Guard's a little hard up for fliers at the moment," he said. "Most of them are born in the southern hemisphere—and not that many people are being born now, you know? We know what Vos is like about their Seekers."

Windjammer folded his arms. His long wings dipped down, almost touching the floor, matching his frown.

"Getting in on my own merits is important, too," he said. "No disrespect, Smokescreen, but I'm not sure just a good word is enough for someone like me."

Updraft stood up slowly, and straightened her wings. "What about two good words?" she asked. Breakdown looked at her (yes, yes, she'd done enough), but she ignored him. "Smokey, you just said Vos hoards its Seekers, and I'll have no trouble sitting their exam..."

"And?" Windjammer asked. He'd pulled his shoulders in, too, like he was trying to make himself smaller. Updraft hoped that shyness might help him, if they could see that he was more than a mid-caste bruiser.

"Well," she said, smiling a little. "I haven't had a lot of chances to fly with my new big brother. I need to get to know him better. And it's worth a try, if it can get us all educated sooner, right?"

"Instead of you sulking, and Uppercut upset because you're still stuck here," Breakdown said. Updraft whipped around to look at him, and caught a small smile on his face where he leaned in the doorway. His optics flickered warmly at her, like they did at Uppercut. "If it doesn't work, we'll talk again."

"They won't be happy about it," Windjammer said, shifting uncomfortably. "A mech like me touching down at their academy."

"They don't have to be," Breakdown said sharply. Updraft nearly jumped. "You're polite, and you can talk like a noble if you want to. Your carrier was one himself, and he brought you up right. Don't let them break you down, Windjammer."

"Okay," Smokescreen said quickly. He had gone stiff as a column in alarm."So, we'll try it."

"I'll talk to Knock Out first," Windjammer said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I still don't know if it will work."

"Worth a shot," Updraft said cheerfully. "Megatronus didn't get as far as he did by just keeping his head down, right?"

She got a rather dark look for the comparison, but Breakdown grinned at her. That had been worth it, then, even if Windjammer still disapproved.

 _You really think you can do that?_ Uppercut commed, to her and Smokescreen.

 _Yeah,_ Smokescreen said, with a little more confidence than what Updraft felt. _Of course. And we'll all help change the world when we get it right._

* * *

Knock Out, despite all appearances, was a rather private mech. Yes, he often dated (and berthed) handsome mechs in decent bars, but that had slowed as his life went on. It was mostly a game, after all, in the most positive sense, and Knock Out thoroughly enjoyed meeting and impressing new bots with his...assets. Breakdown liked to hear about it, and the option was always open for him to do the same if he so wished. (Knock Out had always thought he'd look rather good with that Bulkhead fellow, the other foreman on their site. Breakdown firmly denied this, proving Knock Out right.) His conjux was quite happy monogamous, he'd been assured.

Still, they were only flings. Breakdown was _love,_ and firm constant companionship. Taking the ritus in Vos was regularly a loveless affair, regardless of what the Primal texts said about it. His own parents had been set up by an employer and parent, respectively. Certainly his leaving had not made that any firmer. Knock Out had come to believe that your conjux should also be your best friend, if the whole thing were to succeed.

So Knock Out had little in the way of friends. He'd had little in the way of lovers recently as well, since Updraft had appeared and wound herself into his home and his spark. He was invested in her settling in, yes. But it had also made him wonder if others were being as foolish as Starscream, not grounding their sparks appropriately, and…well, three sparklets was enough. Especially since they were grown, and would be sitting entrance exams in a couple of months. His children, fully educated! Just the thought of it warmed his spark like a flame.

Besides, what if one more of his dates turned out as rotten as that Seeker? He wasn't sure they could house one more surprise child.

"K.O! Where you at?"

Of course, few friends certainly did not mean _none._

"Working, of course!" Knock Out called. "Unlike some of us. Come on through, Swindle, you old slagger."

Uppercut looked up from her work station, mouth in a thin line. Knock Out shook his head, but he was smiling nonetheless. His dear daughter thought Swindle was _slimy,_ and that might have been true, but he wasn't a total lost cause. Knock Out would have locked him out by now otherwise.

"My favourite mod tech," Swindle said, throwing his arms out as he let the door close behind him. "Judging by your waiting room, you must have _some_ time for your old buddy."

Knock Out snorted, but he reached out to grasp Swindle's hand anyway.

"Plenty of custom orders due this week," he said. "Business is quite well, thank you. You're back awfully early from Protihex, so maybe I'm not the one you should be worried about."

Swindle laughed, with no more sleaze than usual. Then he turned, and took a step back with feigned shock.

"Is that little Uppercut?" he exclaimed. "By Primus, that upgrade came up fast."

To her credit, Uppercut didn't roll her optics, or frown, though her smile was still thin. She shrugged shyly.

"We all have to grow up," she said. "You haven't visited Dad in awhile, Swindle."

"Connections to make, new merchandise to get shipped," Swindle said, waving his hand. "Busy, busy. But! I thought I would pay a visit now that I'm back. Even brought a nice vintage back from the Old Town in Protihex."

Knock Out clapped his hands together, optics glinting. "You're too kind. Free of charge, of course?"

He rather enjoyed the twitch of Swindle's optic, but before he could respond the door had opened again.

"Of course it's free. This," said the bot, sliding up next to Swindle, "is a gift, between friends. Right?"

"Of course!" Swindle said cheerfully. He covered it well, but Knock Out saw the ripple of his plating. "Finish up, K.O, and come get me up to date."

Knock Out grinned. "I suppose I might as well. And Royale! It's been some time."

The femme who had followed Swindle in was taller than him, with indigo plating and bright purple optics, angled gracefully on her face. To Knock Out's relief, he saw Uppercut brighten. There were few other sparklets she had had much contact with, after all.

"Been awhile, yeah," she said. Her smile for Uppercut was more genuine, but Knock Out saw her fingers twitch. "I was off-planet with my carrier, but it's nice to be home."

Swindle huffed. He was already cracking his bottle open. "You're too young to hunt bounties. I'm glad you're back."

Royale raised a brow, before strolling closer to Uppercut. She'd been a very quiet thing, the handful of times Swindle had brought her along. She no longer stuck close and clung to her sire's leg, of course, but Knock Out saw the twitch of her fingers and how hard she worked to carry her shoulders straight. She'd been in her upgrade last time she was there, but she had been clumsy and awkward in the way his own daughters were finally getting out of. But Royale had never been given much opportunity to get out and explore.

"Knock Out? Everything okay? I heard someone kind of burst in, and..."

Updraft paused. So did Royale, and Knock Out saw how her gaze lingered on the new arrival.

"Hi," his daughter said, pausing in the door.

"Well, good afternoon!" Swindle said, immediately throwing out his hand for Updraft to take. Knock Out swore he could see the shanix symbols appear in his optics. "I thought you said your customers were gone?"

"Oh, she's not a customer," Uppercut said proudly. There was a flash of mischief in her optics. "Updraft's my sister. She moved in a few months ago."

Swindle looked at Knock Out expectantly. His hand had come up, to quite literally close his jaw, before he had burst into another grin and straightened up. He shook Updraft's hand hard, but she was still glancing over his shoulder.

"I don't remember this one," Swindle said slyly to Knock Out. When he turned back to Updraft, his optics went brighter. "A Seeker, eh? I wouldn't have forgotten you having another girl out in Vos."

"Well, he didn't know for awhile," Updraft said. She was uncharacteristically shy, stepping back neatly from Swindle as soon as she could (and planting her gaze right back on Royale, who met it with just as much interest). "It's nice to meet you."

"You're Vosian, alright," Swindle said. "Great customers, Vosians. Very military, very wealthy—just my style, you know."

Knock Out smirked. "And stuck-up, something my dear Updraft fortunately did not pick up. Come, Swindle. Catch me up on all your latest scams."

"Scams!" Swindle exclaimed, but it was all in fun. "Lies and slander, Knock Out! You know me better than _that._ "

"That's why he knows they're scams," Royale said. Knock Out saw the flash of her grin—and dare he say a wink, in Updraft's direction. Uppercut leaned on her workstation, her brows raised, and decided it would be best to leave the young ones to it.

A comm crackled out, from Uppercut, so he stole a glance back into the workshop. Updraft was leaning on his table, asking Royale something, as Uppercut sat behind them looking thoroughly entertained.

 _First your best customer falls for Windjammer, now this,_ she said. Knock Out smiled.

 _It's a touch early to make the call, sweet spot. But, yes, you can see it in Updraft's optics._

 _Hm. I have bigger things to worry about._

So did Swindle, surely, who didn't even seem to have noticed, and Knock Out, who had no shortage of work to do rather than drink. He had gleaned something much more important from this, anyway.

If Updraft _did_ have herself a little crush (and she did—he knew it when he saw it), she must be comfortable enough to let herself fall into it. The edge on her being had worn off, though not dropped off entirely. That was simply what Vos did.

He would keep an optic on it, though there was no need to worry. Updraft deserved a little happiness, after all. So did Royale, being Swindle's offspring, poor thing. Puppy love was surely an acceptable cap on his daughter's story, at least for the moment.

Maybe he didn't race as much as he'd used to. But there was something to be said about a quiet life.


	13. End Part 1: Rally

_As is always the case, this got away from me! Guys, guess what, after this there is only ONE more update of Fledgling, holy crap! It certainly won't be the end of Updraft's story, I am in no way done, but other installments will be at least one following oneshot and a bigger, planned sequel. We've come this far, haven't we?_

 _We are definitely about to get into some AU-but-familiar territory here, as Cybertron marches on and ol' Megatron gets his ideas. I've mentioned before that this story is mostly based in Prime, but pulls heavily from IDW's phenomenal canon and worldbuilding._

 _For the readers here on fanfiction-this will probably be the last story finished out on this account, before I delete it. All my work is also on ao3 under this same name, so you'll be able to find it there too! I'm just tired of posting to two places, haha. Enjoy!_

* * *

"This is a bad idea."

"You said that before your Academy interview, too."

"Okay, Updraft, sure, but this is not the Academy. It is the furthest thing from the Academy. It's—"

"Seeing history in the making? I thought you liked that class, Windjammer."

"I agree," Uppercut said, ducking under a low pipe. She walked close to Updraft, almost touching her. "You know Dad would be upset, Draft. It's not safe."

Updraft sighed, her plating ruffling up. "He said himself that he doesn't mind us going out, _if_ we all go together. And we're sure in a little bunch now!"

"This isn't what he had in mind," Windjammer said. "I'm only here because I don't want you to get killed."

"I'm top of my melee combat class!"

"You're the size of an energon cube!"

Royale interrupted them, her steps almost silent next to theirs. Her lips quirked in a smile, one Updraft watched intently.

"I thought you said you guys got along," she said, all amusement.

Uppercut folded her arms. She liked Royale, but now her optics blazed. "Let me guess, you think this is all a ton of fun, too?"

"Debatable," Royale said. Her fingers brushed Updraft's shoulder, and her spark stuttered. "It's probably not a good idea, but I'm interested."

Updraft flicked her wings up in pleasure. She ignored her sibling's scowls, before turning to look past the corner they had just passed through.

"Coming, coming!" Smokescreen called. He was venting a little heavily as he appeared next to him. "Sorry, Heatwave got stuck in that arch…"

Updraft stifled her snort as their sixth companion appeared, and he was scowling, too. A big mech, mostly red, dropped his visor back down as he passed by.

"Thanks, Smokescreen," he said, completely deadpan. "Glad _everyone_ knows."

"Not even I got stuck," Windjammer said. Even he was stifling his grin.

Heatwave rolled his shoulders. "Smokescreen held that flap up for you, but apparently it was fine for it to knock me in the face."

"I'll buff out the scratch tonight," Uppercut said. "No charge."

Heatwave just grumbled something, but Updraft ignored him. He was interested in the "cause," or so Smokescreen said, and that was why she'd let him bring his roommate along. She and Smokey both agreed that he was just a touch too dour for their tastes, but he was probably the only one there besides Updraft herself who tuned in to Megatronus's broadcasts.

He had also actually been to the Rodion gladiator pits. For Updraft and her family, this was a first.

"We're almost there," Heatwave said. "It would have been faster, like I said, to just use the main entrance…"

"But you said so yourself, the seats are better around the side," Updraft said. "I should say bottom, since we are _currently below ground,_ but hey, worth it, right?"

Heatwave grinned. "Missing the sky, Seeker? You told me yourself you were tough, so prove it."

Windjammer sighed, deeply. Updraft was forced to wonder how it was she would get him _not_ to tell Knock Out.

To her relief, there were voices around the next corner, and she quickened her pace. The arena was, in fact, partially underground, but it would be open space when they actually got into it. (And thank Primus, because even the mod shop's basement made her wings twitch.)

But they weren't here to see a fight. Megatronus was far too busy these days to participate in the arena. He had travelled here to speak, and Updraft was determined to hear him.

She had thought Breakdown, of at least Knock Out, would want to hear him too, but they had been extremely sharp when she'd broached the subject.

"The arena, or wherever he speaks, won't be safe," Breakdown had told her. "I want you to be safe."

She had agreed, to his face…and called Smokescreen, who was eager enough to see some gladiators, if less enthusiastic about the main event.

With some convincing that would have made Megatronus proud, she had assembled her little group, and here they were.

"How much?" Updraft asked the sturdy looking mech at the gate. Surely Megatronus required operating costs.

He looked her up and down skeptically, then smirked—the average response in Rodion to her small stature (and her fine plating, though Knock Out had a hand in that). No big deal, when her neighbourhood now knew her and her Iacon classmates had learned early she could pack a punch.

"Just a shanix each," said the mech, holding out the card reader. "Megatronus accepts donations as well, of course."

Updraft transferred sixteen shanix: one for each of them, and her personal donation. The mech sniffed—evidently, he'd expected more from a bot of her make.

"You didn't _really_ give that mech more money, did you?" Windjammer whispered to her, as they made their way in.

Updraft frowned. "Of course," she whispered back. "He's fighting for equality."

Windjammer frowned, stepping away. "I'm not sure a gladiator is the person to give us a better life. That's all."

Megatronus wanted the same things her siblings did—the right to choose your function, the right to be educated, the right to _move up_ in the world without a stroke of luck. He was zealous about it, sure, but Updraft couldn't understand why her siblings didn't share her enthusiasm for his words. And wasn't it _Functionist_ of someone to mistrust a gladiator?

Still, they had come with her, and that must have meant something. It was a lot of trouble to risk just to try and protect her.

"Where do we sit?" Uppercut asked. She glanced around at where they had walked out, and winced at the same time Updraft did. Instead of metal there was gravel beneath their feet, scratching her legs where other mechs kicked it up. Heatwave snorted.

"You kidding?" he said. "We stand. The rich attendees get booths."

"Windjammer's big enough to sit and still see," Smokescreen said. "I can just watch from his lap—"

" _No,_ " Windjammer said, his faceplate flushing darker. "You can stand."

Still, he was next to Smokescreen when they found a spot by the railing. Updraft had realized that Knock Out would know they'd gone _somewhere_ that wasn't some Academy event, or club, from the mess her paint job would be in. She would have to deal with that as it came. They were already here, after all.

Royale sidled up next to her, their shoulders brushing. "Swindle took me to the Kaon's arena once. It's gigantic, compared to this."

Uppercut, on Updraft's other side, leaned over to stare at her. "Your sire took you to the _pits?_ "

Royale shrugged. "Not many mechs available to watch me. I wasn't allowed to go anywhere, anyway, I held his hand the whole time. But I saw some of the fight."

The viewing deck filled up, and Updraft wished they were higher up and she could watch the makeshift stage properly. Other mechs—those who hadn't come up from underground—milled above them, their voices growing louder as more mechs filed in. They ended up somewhat in a corner as their section filled up, Windjammer's wingspan useful in blocking unwelcome mechs. Smokescreen and Royale ended up on either side of her, and Uppercut just behind. Heatwave was stuck in the corner, but he was tall, enough to see over Smokescreen's head. Still, he scowled spectacularly, and Updraft tried not to laugh. Their section filled up, and she still had space to flare her wings. So far, so good.

A small door in the pit's wall opened. Updraft's vents caught, and apparently so had everyone else's, as the first mechs emerged and a hush fell over them. None of them were Megatronus—Updraft had seen him on a holovid at school, and none of these rough, no-name mechs were the one she had brought them all to see.

"Wait," Uppercut whispered. She tugged her sister's arm, and pointed at the mech standing in the middle of the ring. He certainly wasn't Megatronus, but he got Updraft to stare nonetheless. "Look, he's—"

"—got no face, yeah," Updraft said quietly. Of course he turned his visor (mask?) right their way then, and she felt a prickle through her spark. "Mechs cannot come up forged like that."

"He probably had that made," Updraft said. "Is that normal? For someone to cover their _whole_ face?"

Uppercut shook her head. The mech was an upside-down triangle, broad-shouldered and tapered into a skinny waist. Updraft would have studied him more, and taken in more of the mechs around him, but Megatronus appeared on the stage.

Instantly, she was grateful for their spot after all. There would have been no way to appreciate Megatronus's size, or how he carried himself, if she was looking down on him. She could see that it was more than his voice or sheer power that kept bots listening. His attending mechs stepped neatly aside to let him pass, until he was standing at the faceless one's side, scanning the crowd. They were close enough that Updraft could see the soft curl up of his grin. Uppercut tensed behind her.

"It has been a long time since I spoke in Rodion," said Megatronus.

A shiver rippled through her. The voice was the one from the broadcasts, all right, but without the static of Breakdown's old radio its power was amplified. It held you in its grip.

Megatronus paused, and there were no sounds except the vents of bots and their shifting.

"Still, this place is not unimportant," he said. "By no means. It was in a Rodion bar where I had my first great realization. A certain Enforcer showed me that that my idea of peace was naïve at best."

There was a confused murmur in the crowd, before Megatronus raised his hand.

"Peace _will_ be ours, my friends. It is only that we will have to seize it, rather than eke it out slowly."

Windjammer's vents hitched behind her. Smokescreen had turned his head to look Updraft's way, but she was too distracted by Megatronus's words. Her spark thrummed with her desire to know what, exactly, that meant. How _she_ might help, when he so badly wanted her to.

 _Hey, so, I really don't like this,_ Smokescreen said over his comm. _I have a feeling we should be making for the door, like, now._

 _You're listening to Jammer too much,_ Updraft commed. _Hush, you're distracting me._

Then one from her brother. _I never wanted to be here to begin with. It's going to be bad_.

 _It's a talk, not a fight,_ Royale said to all of them. _I can feel you all wound up like springs, just_ relax.

"…this Rodion enforcer beat me within an inch of my life," Megatronus continued. "He left me leaking in my cell, barely online, and so before my release I had already come to my conclusion."

 _He needs to get to the point,_ Smokescreen commed, always impatient. Updraft planned to ignore him and keep listening, as raptly as she could, when Uppercut tapped her.

So many distractions! She should have just snuck out by herself. Still, Updraft turned to her sister, and followed her gaze to two mechs standing atop the stadium.

 _What about them? They probably wanted a better view._

 _I don't like this,_ Uppercut said again. _I feel it in my spark, we should go._

 _Please, just let me finish watching him speak!_ Now Updraft was getting truly impatient. If they had wanted her to stay home so badly, why hadn't they told Knock Out or something? She couldn't be that charismatic.

Still, the mechs up there had narrowed optics, and disappeared out of view almost like shadows.

Updraft decided to think nothing of it. Even if Uppercut's engines hummed nervously next to her, her fists clenched.

Megatronus had just opened his mouth again at the first explosion.

There was a shock of silence. People looking at each other, wondering if they had all just heard that, when a half-dozen more followed and Updraft knew it was real.

She went still, and found herself looking at the silent, visored mech. And swore that he tapped Megatronus, pointing one long finger at _them._ It meant Megatronus looked her way too, as the first piece of the stadium fell and he was being ushered away.

Updraft's first thought was _Iacon bombs._

She knew it was Smokescreen's, too, because his hand clamped onto her wrist as shouting, anxious mechs shoved past them, and the roar in her audials threatened to completely overtake her. She reached for Uppercut, and found with a rush of terror that she wasn't there.

 _CUTTER!_ she screamed, crackling out over comm. There were four others dear to her that needed to get out, but something made her call for her sister, even as Smokescreen pulled her through the first gap he saw.

 _A good exit's a few kliks east,_ Royale said, though it crackled over the activity in the stadium. _Not ours, it's packed—_

The comms went out, and Smokescreen's grip tightened.

"C'mon!" he shouted, over the next explosion, and the subsequent screams. "C'mon c'mon c'mon, Primus fraggit, Jammer was _right_ —"

A mech bigger than Uppercut shoved into Smokescreen, and he yelped, but Updraft's grip on their wrists kept them together, if not upright.

She tried to remember what she'd been taught, just that year, about what to do in a disaster. To stay calm (failed) move in an orderly way (failed) and help civilians (ha! _They_ were still civilians!).

The crush of mechs was pushing on her wing, and Updraft struggled to keep her vents on. She still had a hold on Smokescreen, but there was pressure on their arms, and a roar in her audials.

They'd be crushed, if they couldn't get upright. Updraft pushed, but she certainly hadn't chosen her alt mode for speed, and Primus, she was going to get her and Smokey killed—

A large, familiar hand tugged her upright and into a corner. Updraft's instincts were wrong—it wasn't Windjammer, or even Uppercut.

"Damn fool girl," said Skyquake. Before Updraft could react, a rush of blue-and-gold nearby signified that not only one twin was here.

"What are you—" she started, as Skyquake threw an arm around her shoulder. They joined the crowd flowing outwards, her hand still on Smokescreen's wrist until they were out, into the cool night air and to one side of the commotion.

Smokescreen was venting too heavily. To her horror, she saw energon oozing from his free arm, a stream of it running thick down his hand. Skyquake was pinching the line closed already, expression unreadable.

"I believe we met under similar circumstances," he was saying, though Smokescreen's jaw was too slack to say if he really heard it. "You're fine. Don't move it too much, and get it welded."

"What are you doinghere?" Updraft asked again. The next look Skyquake gave her she _could_ read, and it made her feel like a misbehaving child.

"The same reason as you, I'd think," Skyquake said. "To see a great mech speak his mind."

Smokescreen seemed to have gotten his bearings. He stared at Skyquake, rubbing gently at the place his line had been pinched.

"I can't believe it," he breathed. "You saved us when we were kids, too!"

"I certainly did," Skyquake growled. His optics blazed brighter for a moment. "You might be well-intentioned, children, but you're too young to be here."

"We're not children," Updraft said on reflex. (Even if, infuriatingly, she was crying, coolant in two streams down her face.)

When Skyquake reached out, she actually flinched, but he only wiped her wet cheek with his thumb.

"You're hurt," he said. "You haven't noticed your wing is twisted?"

Smokescreen's optics went wide, and Updraft stiffened. After a moment, she could feel the warmth of her own spilled energon, and the painful pull of a wing out of place. Her spark felt like it was stuttering.

"Is this one yours?" Another, blessedly familiar voice made her turn. Dreadwing _was_ here, and he held a dirty and disheveled Uppercut by the elbow. "I found her shoving and screaming Updraft's name."

"Draft!"

Uppercut shoved Dreadwing aside to rush them, Skyquake stepping back neatly to let her through. She took her sister's arm, and her optics were so wild with panic that Updraft thought she might die from the shame. Uppercut's side leaked, too, though not nearly as much as Smokescreen's arm.

"Primus, Updraft, your _wing_ , I'm sorry," she gasped, as if any of this was her fault. "I mean, we can fix it, definitely, it'll be easy, but—"

"It's fine," she said weakly. "It doesn't hurt."

"Not now, it doesn't," Dreadwing said. He touched her cheek, and Updraft leaned into it on reflex. "When the shock wears off, it'll ache."

"I can't believe this," Smokescreen repeated. He sat down hard on the curb, scooting out of the way of a mech running past. "Our comms didn't work back then, either, did they?"

"Back when?" Uppercut asked. "Or—wait, Draft told me about that attack. When you were kids?"

"We were hoping she'd mellowed out of getting into trouble," Dreadwing said grimly.

"No," Updraft said. "Guess I'm even better at it now."

Uppercut had turned towards the crowd, which was more fragmented now. The sound of Pyrobot sirens could be heard faintly over the commotion. Updraft hoped that the reason Heatwave had disappeared was because he was performing his function. She refused to think it could be something worse.

"Did you guys see Windjammer?" she asked, voice fainter. "Or Royale? I couldn't keep track of them…"

She couldn't imagine Windjammer caught in a crowd, not with his size. And to look for Uppercut, he'd probably put aside his usual sweet self and push through. She hoped—so far, she'd hurt two of them already.

"What do they look like?" Dreadwing asked, but Skyquake shook his head.

"We need to go," he said. "The Enforcers will be on their way."

Uppercut snorted. "Enforcers don't care about people like us."

Skyquake's optics narrowed, making Updraft's energon run colder. "Exactly."

"Well," Uppercut said firmly, drawing herself up to full height, "I'm not leaving without my brother."

"I'm not going without him either," Smokescreen declared. "Or Royale, or Heatwave."

Skyquake raised a brow, hands protective on Updraft's shoulders. "You travel in packs now?"

Updraft didn't answer. The comms were crackling back to life, and to her relief several from Royale, and Windjammer, came through at that moment. A lot of _where are you?_ and _Be careful, I'm on my way!_

Royale seemed to have dealt with this with skill, which made Updraft wonder just where her parents had been taking her all her life.

 _Underground, trying to track you. Saw your brother, tried to catch him, couldn't._

So Windjammer was alright, at least. Relief had dawned on Uppercut's face, so maybe Windjammer had sent something clearer her way.

 _Apparently we have to go,_ Updraft sent to Royale. _Enforcers, or something._

 _Go home,_ Royale said. _Are you with the others? Safe?_

 _Yeah. I think Heatwave's putting out the fires, but the others are here._

 _Good. Don't hang out, it'll get scary,_ Royale wondered how she'd know. _Swindle might already be flipping his lid, so I'm already driving._

 _Don't get hurt._

 _Stay safe, little bit._

The nickname didn't have its same thrill. Uppercut slumped, her posture relieved—though her optics were still too bright.

"Windjammer's coming," she said. "Said he saw us, but got held up by—"

" _LEAVE—ME—ALONE!"_

Gentle Windjammer's voice didn't thunder. Updraft almost jumped off the ground, wound up as she was, and she heard the noise of a blaster charging before she saw her brother shoving past two mechs, towards them and away from…

…the faceless one. The one from Megatronus's side, who had looked right at them. He stepped neatly past another mech, towards Windjammer.

His optics narrowed, and his wings flared out to nearly their full length. Updraft took a surprised step back. He was so much _bigger_ at his full height, than in his usual slouch.

The faceless mech reached out one (hand? It was more accurate to say fingers, magnetized to the arm) and Windjammer took a protective step in front of Uppercut.

"I don't want anything to do with you," he said, barely keeping his voice level. "I'm only here for my sister's sakes, _not_ yours. Go blow something else up."

"We did not do this," said a deeper voice, one they all knew.

Updraft's vent caught in her throat when she saw Megatronus, towering over most of the crowd as he approached them. He was damaged on one shoulder, but not severely, and held under one arm a cracked datapad. He only looked short when he stood before Windjammer, tipping his chin upwards just slightly.

When he looked at Updraft, it was like he had pierced her armour.

"This was a sabotage," Megatronus said. "And now that things are calming, I'd like to speak with you."

"If you think I had _anything_ to do with this—!"

"Please," Megatronus said, holding up his free hand. "That is not why I'm trying to speak with you. I see that you're protective, and cautious. And _strong._ These are the qualities I want to discuss."

Windjammer's optics blinked wide for a moment, confused. Then they narrowed, and he straightened up. As he pulled up his wings, Updraft swore she saw the faceless mech lean forward in interest.

Before he could answer, Skyquake spoke, his head inclined respectfully. "Megatronus. Soundwave."

To her endless shock, Megatronus inclined his head right back. "Good evening, Skyquake and Dreadwing. Do you know these mechs…?"

Dreadwing nodded. His grip around Updraft's arm tightened a fraction, though surely not enough to be noticed.

"We worked in Vos for some time as bodyguards," he said. "We knew this Seeker well when she was young."

Now Megatronus, again, looked at Updraft.

"She's young still," he said, more quietly. "Small, too. And well-built."

He meant she was rich, or had been, and it showed. She hadn't changed out her fine build or shining paintjob, after all (though it was looking considerably more dull after tonight). Updraft knew the look well, after so long in Rodion.

Dreadwing had opened his mouth, but Updraft beat him to it.

"I came to hear you speak," she said, her voice wavering only slightly. "I've always known no one's better than anyone else, you just—put it into words."

"Have you?" Megatronus asked. His tone held more interest than suspicion. "It took even me some time to learn that."

Updraft flicked her good wing up higher, though her span was less impressive than Windjammer's. "Yes," she said. "It doesn't matter how important you are, if you step on those you think are beneath you. I'm glad you're getting that message out."

Windjammer looked like he had _something_ to say about that, but Megatronus seemed deep in thought for a moment. The faceless mech, Soundwave, touched the crook of his arm, and Megatronus nodded once.

"What are your names?" he asked.

"Updraft," she said immediately. She almost introduced her siblings, before the look Windjammer gave her made her change her mind.

Smokescreen looked from Updraft to Windjammer, to Megatronus—and then looked away.

"Updraft," Megatronus said. "I will remember that. And your companion has no need to fear, when I only want to know my supporters.

"I don't support violence," Windjammer said quietly. Megatronus sighed.

"Violence is not my end," he said. In spite of herself, Updraft tried to tell if he was lying. "Please consider my offer. I could use a good mech like you."

"Whatever," Windjammer said. "We have to get going. Good luck to you."

Megatronus nodded. "We will be in Rodion some time more, if you—"

" _Thank_ you."

Windjammer had only not started walking because Uppercut was planted firm, staring at Updraft. Dreadwing and Skyquake looked at each other too, something wordless passing between them.

"We'll be escorting our young friend home as well," Dreadwing said. "Old habits, of course."

"Of course," Megatronus said. He said nothing else out loud as he surveyed them, optics lingering on Windjammer. "Travel safely."

It was only when they had disappeared back into the crowd (now much less harried, though still trickling away from the stadium) that Windjammer rounded on Dreadwing.

"You're with that mech?" he asked. He glanced at Updraft, who gave him a desperate look in return.

Dreadwing leveled his gaze at Windjammer, before he shook his head. "We're from Kaon. It is quite easy to encounter Megatronus of Tarn there, when you are of our status."

"Are you gladiators?" Smokescreen asked. His optics had gone brighter with interest.

"No," Skyquake said. "Many things, but not gladiators."

To Updraft's surprise, Windjammer relaxed a fraction. "My sire is from Kaon. He likes this damn radio program, too."

Dreadwing gestured, down a side street. "It's not safe to wait for your friends. Let us walk these young ones home."

He said it as if Windjammer wasn't a young one himself, but it seemed to have worked. He nodded, and Uppercut finally relented too, turning down the street. Smokescreen opened his mouth to protest against, but Updraft shook her head silently at him.

 _They're fine,_ she commed. _Royale is going home._

 _Without you? Slagger._

 _Yes, because she knew I was safe. Let's go._

Royale had street smarts, she told herself. And Heatwave had come here before, was a first responder. They would be fine.

But they were an odd-looking group, shuffling home. Skyquake out in front, wings flared and arms folded, was enough for anyone else out so late to keep a wide berth. Windjammer had his arm around Uppercut, and Smokescreen almost trotted to keep up. His wheels were actually spinning—he wanted to be driving _,_ getting out of there as fast as he could.

Updraft took up the rear, with Dreadwing. She had started to rush up ahead, to walk alongside Smokescreen, but her struts has nearly failed her and she'd had to slow. She limped, her twisted wing now sending out pulses of hot pain. Dreadwing let her hold his arm, patting her hand once or twice as they went.

 _You're doing well_? he asked her at one point. _Besides the immediate problems._

Updraft had taken a moment to comm him back.

 _Yeah,_ she said after a moment. _My sire is wonderful. And my sister is my best friend._

His brow quirked with amusement. _Not Smokescreen? He never left, I see._

 _Well, they're both important!_ Updraft had added quickly, _but Uppercut and I are real close now. I…_

Dreadwing reached over, to gently squeeze her hand. She wished, for one desperate, ridiculous moment, that she was very small again, and he could fix every hurt in her. Hurts planted by others, as they had been before, not her own fault.

… _I feel so bad about all this_ , she finally managed. _My sire will be so angry. My brother and sister only came to keep me out of trouble, and that's not their job._

 _You made a mistake,_ Dreadwing acknowledged _. Certainly not an unfixable one, though. Remember that._

Updraft gave him a desperate look, now glad they were behind the others. _Knock Out and his conjux might not care about that. I got their sparklets hurt._

 _You are Knock Out's sparklet, too,_ Dreadwing reminded her. _And you're also hurt. You would not have stayed in a place with just another Starscream._

That was probably true—at that point, she might as well fly home, look sorry, and live with Skywarp and Thundercracker while she hoped for the best. But she knew full well she was too proud, and maybe she wouldn't have gone back. Maybe it would have been worse.

But it hadn't been. And there was no use fretting over what wasn't.

The building was dark when they got back to it. They'd walked far enough that the commotion across town could barely be heard—though a plume of black smoke obscured the view of Polyhex, to the south.

They'd had better come up with a good story when her sire woke up.

"Did you get any comms?" Uppercut asked Windjammer. Their brother turned, his wings lowered again, and shook his head.

"I guess they're still in recharge," he said. Their window was as dark as the rest of them, and Updraft wondered if they'd even been missed. Breakdown had worked a double shift, and there was no trace of the attack from this side of the city.

Smokescreen rolled his shoulders. "Well, thanks for the escort," he said. "Actually, _just_ heard from Heatwave. They got the fires out, and he says he's gonna kill me."

"Well, he'll at least kill you fully repaired," Uppercut said grimly. "Come in quietly and I'll close that line. Updraft first, though, her whole wing needs to be turned around…"

"You need a repair, too," Windjammer said, more sharply. Uppercut only shrugged.

"It's already clotted," she said. "Breakdown of Kaon's kids are well-armoured, right?" She fumbled with her keycard, optics narrowed.

Dreadwing's hand cupped her cheek, and Updraft looked up. He was doing a poor job hiding his affection, and it made a lump form in her intake.

"I'll keep my long distance line open," Dreadwing said. "And if you need _anything,_ you will call."

"I will," she said. "Will you be in Rodion for awhile?"

He smiled. "We'll try," he said. "I'm sorry to have left you so long, little one. You've done well, and gladder for it."

Updraft smiled, and heard the _click_ of the door unlocking. Time to go. "I'm doing my best," she said. "In school and all. Though tonight…"

"Wrong place, wrong time," Dreadwing said. "You have a fine spark, Updraft. Keep your fire."

Skyquake waved from down the road, and Updraft let herself turn away and be led inside (she had to lean even harder on Uppercut's arm, just to get through the door). It was dark, and it seemed that Knock Out and Breakdown had stayed in recharge after all.

Updraft thanked Primus. This was already hard enough.

 _So far, so good,_ said Uppercut over the comm. _I just need to get into the workshop, and_ —

"Evening, kids."

They _must_ have planned this, because the lights all went on at the same time, and Updraft nearly jumped out of her plating. Next to her, Windjammer's wings flared in such alarm that Updraft heard a crash, as something hit the ground.

"Jammer," Breakdown said, tiredly. "That was a good vase."

" _Updraft!_ "

Knock Out had pushed past, and she almost jumped again as he took his face in her hands, looking into her optics critically. He pulled back, his mouth set in a grimace.

"By Primus, you _walked home_ on that?! Workshop, now. You're going to recharge in the medical berth, so I can monitor your self repair."

"I was just going to—" Uppercut started. Breakdown flared his optics for a moment, and instantly she closed her mouth.

"You need a weld," he said. "And Smokescreen does, too. He'll have Updraft's berth if she's downstairs."

"I'm fine!" Smokescreen said quickly. Updraft could see now that his pinched line had opened back up, and his biolights had paled from how much energon he'd spilled. "Really, I am. I can drive home."

"Like the Pit you will," Breakdown snapped. "You're swaying. Come here, I'll patch it."

Smokescreen looked reluctant at putting his medical well-being in Breakdown's hands, at that moment.

Knock Out was still talking, though Updraft was only half listening. She realized she'd let herself be led to the workshop's patient berth, and that her sire already had a scanner out, checking her vitals.

"…don't understand the way you young things think," he said. "The fighting ring, the very idea! We heard the bombs and were ready to hunt you down!"

"In the dark?" Smokescreen asked.

Knock Out gave him a look that could have curdled energon.

"And when got there, we would have dropped _you_ off for scrap," he snapped. "Now be quiet for your technician."

"I'm checking the news," Uppercut said quietly. "No one died, though arrests were made. Some people released."

"Arrested in the arena is no better," Breakdown said. "Jammer—wash up and get some rest, kid. We'll take care of these ones."

Knock Out pursed his lips as he started gently untwisting Updraft's damaged wires. She had braced herself for a worse lecture, but none came. When she whined softly from the pain, he gave her an injection, and the feelings fuzzed up into something more tolerable. She could hear Breakdown and Uppercut speaking quietly, but had suddenly become too tired to hear their words. Even the guilt had fuzzed out, as the anaesthetic worked through her systems and Knock Out set her wing back in its place.

"I only want you safe, sweet spot," she heard him say. His hand rested on her forehead. "From the moment I knew about you, it was all I wanted. And this world isn't safe."

That was the thought she recharged on.

* * *

"Alright," Breakdown said, sitting down. "We're unraveling this."

The table was more crowded than usual, with Smokescreen sandwiched between Updraft and Windjammer. She had the most space on her other side, for her wing, but it was still a tight fit. There was really no room to hide from Breakdown and Knock Out's firm gazes, either.

"You're not my parents, you know…" Smokescreen started, like it was going to do him any good.

"Why, you want them to know what you got up to?" Breakdown asked.

Smokescreen's sulk would have been thoroughly entertaining, in any other situation. At the moment Updraft's spark felt like it was trying to squeeze tight and snuff itself.

Windjammer's optics blazed brighter, and Uppercut's were downcast. Knock Out sighed.

"You're all very lucky you're safe," he said after a moment. "We could lecture you, but it won't do any good."

"Then why are we _here,_ " Smokescreen moaned—than squeaked, when Updraft kicked him under the table.

"You're the one who started listening to him," Windjammer said suddenly. He was looking at Breakdown, frown deep.

They all turned to look at him, and his wings lowered a fraction. Still, his optics shone bright.

"You _did_ tell Updraft not to go," he said, more quietly. "I know you did, and you were right about why. But, Dad, _you_ never miss a broadcast."

"His _cause_ is something good—" Breakdown started.

"Yeah, but the mech's dangerous," Windjammer snapped. "He's smart, deadly smart. His obviously isn't the way to peace."

Updraft frowned, though she wasn't sure whether or not she was being defended. It was only when Knock Out's optics narrowed too that Windjammer's resolve cracked, and he looked away. He never could bear to have his carrier upset with him.

"I _only_ went to look after the girls," he said finally. "I knew Uppercut would go with her, to keep her out of trouble. Sorry."

Knock Out rested his hand over Windjammer's big one, and squeezed. The other one held too tightly around his energon cube.

"Cause or not," he said, "a slagging good way to lose your place in school is to be caught in that arena. _Especially_ wrapped up in a worker's movement like this one. You're all big bots now, and you can make your own decisions…but it's something we need you to think about."

Uppercut looked so frightened that Updraft wanted to purge. Now Smokescreen nudged _her,_ because he knew as well as she did that they weren't in the same danger.

"And we'd know," Breakdown added. "The combat arenas eat opportunities, like it or not."

"You'd know," Uppercut agreed, very quietly.

Smokescreen blinked. "How would you know?"

Breakdown raised a brow. "Owned mech, then gladiator, now free. It was a Pit of a hole to dig out of."

Smokescreen's jaw dropped, and it took true effort for Updraft's not to. Breakdown sighed, his chair creaking as he stood up.

"We'd better head for work, kid," he said to Windjammer. And the meeting, to speak, was adjourned.

* * *

"Updraft," Smokescreen said.

She had been about to shut the door, but paused. Uppercut was clearing up the table, leaving Updraft to see their guest off.

Smokescreen tilted his head as he looked at her, and she found she couldn't place the look in his optics.

"Did you take what Breakdown said to spark?" he asked. "About Megatronus?"

She shrugged. Suddenly the tips of her fingers were the most interesting thing on the street. "Yeah. Of course. Don't get caught in the lower town, watch out for our futures. Real good info."

"Yeah," Smokescreen said. When Updraft looked up, he was looking to one side. "I think Windjammer's right. And it's not just about our places at the Academy. Which I hadn't thought about, and will now be thinking about, a lot."

"Breakdown _also_ said the cause is good," Updraft said quietly. "I don't like where this is going. What you're implying."

"Yeah, you wouldn't," Smokescreen said, his door wings twitching. "I think his bad feeling is right. This peace stuff is a means to an end."

Updraft have him a long, level look, leaning heavily in the doorframe for a moment. She smiled, crooked, when she looked up.

"See you in class. Early lecture tomorrow ."

She hated that he looked a little hurt, even if he'd managed a smile back in an instant.

"See you. Like old Kup ever notices when we're late."

He transformed, his engine roaring as he tore ahead up the street. Updraft locked the door behind him in silence, thinking about the parts that needed sorting. If she was a disappointment now, she might as well make an effort to be better. She'd even hold off on calling Royale, since she'd pinged that she was home safe. Venting would have to wait.

Still, it wasn't as if she couldn't make the work a _little interesting_. On her way to the workshop, she opened a comm to Dreadwing.

 _If you're not busy, I bet you have more info than the radio…so, what can you guys tell me about Megatronus?_


	14. End Part 2: New Year

_Well, this is it! Something of an epilogue to Fledgling, and the end of one long, wonderful ride! I cringe a bit when I read some of those early chapters, before I really knew where this was all going and certainly before I knew this would become such a long, winding story. Maybe I'll edit them-but I'm pretty busy this 2017, and part of that bustle is a sequel to this story! I am absolutely not done with Updraft, even if this is where Fledgling ends._

 _So I think a little thanks are in order!_

 _Miri: Because she's half yours, Uppercut and Windjammer are mostly yours, and this was all for you to start. I'm really happy you liked it._

 _M: For being my robot baby soulmate, and reading things the second I send them. You make me better at doing this._

 _wears_a_hat: For getting into fanfiction-I mean way into fanfiction-after this story began, and reading all of it so enthusiastically. Seeing you excited makes me excited about continuing_

 _ntldr: For making Updraft one of your own, and for a decade of Transformers fun._

 _My wonderful readers: OCs are not everyone's thing, and some of you have let me know this particular OC and her little cohort matter to you. That means so much to me. Thank you, and I hope you stick around for what's next, I think it's going to be really something!_

 _And one more thing, for ffnet readers: this will probably be the last story I post here before I delete this accout (THOUGH THE SEQUEL AND EVERYTHING ELSE WILL STILL BE ON AO3, DON'T WORRY). I'm just sick of posting in two places at once, it's time to move._

 _Enjoy, folks. This story means a lot to me!_

* * *

It had taken some convincing.

Breakdown had been firm—he simply didn't want Skywarp in his home. Updraft had wilted, but could hardly blame him. Knock Out, to his credit, seemed to understand how much Updraft wanted to stay connected with him, when she was firm about his apology to her. But he had been wary.

"I don't want him to push you into something you don't want," he'd told her. "I only want you to be safe."

It was a mantra repeated often since the arena incident. Breakdown still played his radio programs, and Updraft still sat with him and listened. (Her siblings now made a point of staying upstairs, when Megatronus spoke.) She did so less often, but because sometimes she had tests to study for, or went out with friends after class. In bright, cheerful Iacon next door, rather than Rodion's still-new dangers. It no longer set her shivering, worrying about bombs. Something terrible could happen anywhere—why shouldn't she enjoy the times it didn't?

And Skywarp had kept coming to see her. Though Thundercracker and Starscream had gotten suspicious of his volunteering to travel, he slipped away to have energon with her, and ply her with gifts and Vosian gossip. Each time he did he seemed to relax more, until it was almost like the way things had been before.

With the New Year's break coming up, and his presence so consistent, she had decided what she wanted. And Breakdown had said no.

"That mech broke in, brought the cops, and abandoned you," he said. "And you want him here for a _meal?_ "

Breakdown was worried, and she understood that. She knew it was more for Knock Out's sake than her own, because he loved his conjux and his conjux, by extension, loved Updraft. For that reason, he'd try and protect her, for better or worse.

"Only with your express permission and approval?" Updraft said. She smiled, twitching her wings up hopefully.

Breakdown's flat look didn't leave much room for said express permission, or approval. She braced herself for disappointment.

"Have you been speaking to him since it happened?" Knock Out asked. He had an odd look on his face, and she wondered how often he thought of his own family in Vos. She knew better than to lie.

"Yeah," she said. "I've even gone to see him—in public places, with Uppercut and Windjammer _and_ Smokescreen all watching me. The important part was added quickly, when Breakdown's optics went suddenly bright. "He's sorry, and he means it. Even ask Windjammer, he says he's nice to me, too. They haven't _talked_ , but he said we can give him a chance."

They went quiet again. Getting her siblings to help her argue would only go so well, when Uppercut's answer had only been that she _guessed_ it was okay. She braced herself

Finally, Knock Out sighed.

"He's only one Seeker," he said. "I shouldn't say yes…but I'd still invite my parents in, if I was in your place. He can come."

"Knock Out," Breakdown said.

His conjux held out his hands. Relief coursed through Updraft like a transfusion. "He can come, on a conditional basis. We'll certainly throw him out if he's disrespectful—and we'll invite our own guests. Have a little get-together."

Breakdown sighed. "You have _one_ friend," he said. "Please, not Swindle."

"I won't let him bring _any_ merchandise! No business at all!"

She was already composing a datalog to send to Skywarp. Be good, she'd have to warn him, multiple times. No tricks. She needed them to _see_ that he was worth this.

So New Year's became a slightly bigger affair than planned. Not too much bigger, since the building only had so much space, but certainly a get-together as her sire had said. Something Uppercut seemed excited about, if her humming and lantern building were any indication. Mostly red and yellow, and one blue (for Smokescreen).

"It'll be good for them to have some people over," she said. "All they do is work, especially since Dad stopped going on dates."

"I feel a little bad about that," Updraft said. Her own lantern (for Skywarp) was awaiting Uppercut's emergency surgery, as she hadn't done well with the glue. "He stopped after I got here."

Uppercut made a face. "That's a good thing. They were mostly fraggers, like your carrier. But," she added, optics sparkling, "I think he's also worried he might have more sparklets. We're all he can afford to put through school."

Updraft must have looked upset, because Uppercut held up her hands in a placating way.

"You're the best thing that's happened in years!" she said quickly. "But—"

"Can you imagine four sparklets?" Updraft interrupted, her own optics bright with mischief. She'd gotten over it fast. "Or five? Knock Out went to med school long enough to know about spark grounds—"

"And yet here you are," Uppercut said. Then they were both grinning. Three sparklets was an almost insane number to the average Cybertronian—most couples rarely had even one, and sometimes the neighbours _still_ stared. She still hadn't learned how Knock Out had earned the licenses to keep two.

They were quite a household.

Breakdown grumbled a little, but the party started without a hitch. To Updraft's surprise, Windjammer had invited mechs from work. He only took shifts a few times a week (this was still, in Updraft's opinion, too many) to help with the bills, but he was well-liked on the build sites. He and Updraft hadn't invited any classmates (besides Smokescreen who would, of course, be there whether they liked it or not). The bots at the Elite Guard Academy were from the world Updraft had left, not anyone they would bring home to make fun of the shop.

She just hadn't expected the mechs Windjammer brought to be ones she'd met before.

The way Wheeljack grinned at her, she knew he remembered her run-in with the streetcar cables. Bulkhead's smile was kinder, but Updraft knew her cheeks had darkened anyway. (Windjammer, to his credit, had looked extremely concerned when he heard the story. Uppercut had laughed out loud.)

"Your brother's the smartest mech on the site," Bulkhead told her. Behind them, she watched Windjammer duck his head and Knock Out beam. "We hear you got him to school."

Now Updraft ducked her head, wings flicking in embarrassment. "Something like that. He deserves it."

"He does," Breakdown said. His voice had become a pleased rumble. "The little one here didn't do half bad getting him there, either. You two need a drink?"

" _Yes,_ " Wheeljack said, leaning in and grinning.

At the same time, she heard the door flinging open and Smokescreen's loud, cheerful "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" as he entered. There was the sound of a few boxes falling too, and Smokescreen's muffled "frag," as he bent to pick them back up.

"Watch the hinges!" Knock Out snapped, rushing ahead even as Uppercut grinned.

Bulkhead raised a brow. "Rich kid?"

"Well, he is that," Windjammer said, even as he smiled and straightened up. Updraft could see how Smokescreen's optics lit up as he saw her brother, and he squeezed her arm as he went past and toward him. Windjammer had only gotten brave about it when Updraft had Smokescreen visiting more, Uppercut had told her. They would have to make sure those two ended up alone together, some time tonight. Maybe on a balcony, surrounded by lanterns. Windjammer would die of embarrassment, and appreciate it immensely.

Uppercut had had the same idea, if the way she winked one optic her sister's way meant anything.

Of course, that also had to be the moment her comm pinged. _I'm here,_ Skywarp told her. _Teleported to the end of the street, saw your friend come in._

She brushed Knock Out's arm as she passed him, going for the door. "He's here."

Her sire's hand on her wing made her pause, but only for a moment. When she looked back at him, he was smiling. Breakdown was occupied, chatting with Bulkhead, as Windjammer smiled and draped one arm around Smokescreen. Uppercut watched them both with narrowed optics, and Updraft went for the door.

Skywarp had polished to perfection—to her surprise, as he stepped in there were his glyphs, painted carefully at the base of his wings. She hoped his token of respect wouldn't be lost on Knock Out (but she had to wonder who had painted them. Would he come up with some for her?).

"Happy new year," he said, words careful as he put one arm around Updraft. With the other, he held out a bottle to Knock Out. "Something for you."

He felt too stiff, like he was nervous. Skywarp was at ease around almost anyone, or tried to be, but it seemed coming back to Updraft was wringing him out.

"Well, thank you," Knock Out said. He sounded genuinely surprised about being addressed at all, let alone so politely. After last time, Updraft could hardly blame him.

"You had a good trip?" Updraft asked, as she closed the door behind him. Skywarp smiled, resting his hand just above her wings.

"I tried to teleport off the shuttle," he said, and Updraft caught a grin. "Do not recommend."

"Sounds about right," she said. Already, she was grinning. "And—you didn't have to bring _me_ stuff," she added, as Skywarp held out another—huge—box, leaning towards her with it under his arm. "I told you, no presents."

"Yeah, well, can't help it," he said cheerfully. "And it's not your real present. That'll be here a in a minute."

Updraft frowned, and opened the box a crack. Instantly her mood brightened—a multi-storeyed box of sweets, in a rainbow of colours. They would last months, and they were high-end. You couldn't get them here.

"The whole bottom part is sweetsticks," Skywarp said proudly. "Your favourite kind. Don't eat them all tonight!"

"I don't think I _could,_ " Updraft said honestly. "This is…a lot."

"What a tragedy," Smokescreen said from the doorway. "Here, just give those to me for safekeeping…"

"I'll put the first tier out," Updraft said, smiling wryly. "No sense not sharing in the new year."

She wondered if Skywarp would be unhappy, if she was supposed to hoard her gift to herself.

"Perfect," was what he said, to her relief. "I _really_ wanted to try the mercury creams."

In the next room, Breakdown laughed loudly at something Wheeljack said. Updraft had the thought that Windjammer invited them more for his sire's sake than his own. She would have to see about getting him to go out more. Through the doorway, though, she could see Bulkhead's hand on her brother's shoulder, and Smokescreen turning back to stand at Windjammer's side. So maybe she could let him be.

Someone had put on the radio, one of the pop stations. Megatronus would be speaking tomorrow, after all, not during the celebration. Uppercut was by the energon dispenser, humming the tune. Knock Out watched her and Skywarp for a moment, before finally relaxing his wheels. He still hadn't taken the drinks in.

"I'll let you two catch up," he said, before heading through the doorway towards Breakdown. She was sure he'd be listening, as Smokescreen and Uppercut were.

Skywarp knew it too. She knew from the sheen of his polish and how he held his wings that he was on his best behaviour. It was all for her sake, and it tugged at her spark. He had his hands folded in front of his middle, optics flicking from the next room to her. He grinned.

"You're gonna like your next gift even more," he said. "Though I'm not sure you'll be able to get it downstairs."

Updraft raised a brow, even as Skywarp reached up to touch her shoulder. "That better not be a knock on my size."

"Only a little." Skywarp's grin went wider. "If you trust me unsupervised with your family, that is."

She elbowed him gently. "You're my family, too."

His smile was softer. "Well, I guess we're all on probation, aren't we? Go on."

She watched him stroll into the next room from the steps, not a flicker of a teleport generator in sight. She had warned him not to use it again, after last time. And he'd do it, if it was for her.

It felt so warm, to know that he understood.

Updraft remembered to skip the cracked step, the one Breakdown didn't have time to fix. A rush of cold air hit her as she pushed up the hatch and climbed out, and she flinched when something cold and wet touched her helm.

It snowed occasionally in Vos at the lower levels, but they were well above the cloud line there. Updraft had hardly ever seen it, so she paused to let a few flakes fall on her hand. They landed gently on the warm metal, and melted, but before they did Updraft got to see their lovely patterns.

Distracted as she was, it took her a moment to notice the figure at the roof's edge. The wings made her wonder why Skywarp had teleported up here after all, but—

The figure's paint was blue. A deeper colour than she remembered, but maybe it was the light? He turned to look at her as she stood, and Updraft felt a shudder ripple through her. Thundercracker's wings and shoulders drooped, the posture of a mech about to be scolded.

He waved.

Her feet carried her closer, slowly, but she stopped just short of him. He had definitely repainted, and in the light of the neighbourhood's lanterns it was striking.

"Aren't you cold up here?" was all she asked. Thundercracker shook his head.

"Of course not," he said. "No colder than a high flight."

Close up, she could see that he'd added two wide red stripes to his paint, one on each wing. He saw her staring and shrugged, shyly. Thundercracker was only partially the vain Vosian.

"Skywarp convinced me it was time for a change," he said. "All three of us got red accents. Still not sure about it."

"You look handsome," she said after a moment. She was going to say something else, about how red was her favourite and how it suited him, but the words caught in her vocalizer instead. They came out a sob, and when she stepped forward Thundercracker's arms were around her and she was shuddering, furious and anguished and relieved all at once.

"You _jerk!_ " she sobbed, into his front. "You slagger! I _missed_ you!"

His grip tightened, but for a moment he didn't speak. One hand reached up to gently stroke her finial, and Updraft squeezed her optics shut.

"I know," Thundercracker said finally, his voice almost inaudible. "You deserve better—you always have. I'm sorry, Updraft."

Those few words were enough to make her feel as if a vice had been lifted off her spark. She sighed, shaky, leaning one audial against his chest, and could almost hear his spark hum.

"I shouldn't have snuck away," Updraft said quietly. "But it was the only way to know."

"I know," Thundercracker said. His hand stroked over her helm. "You worried me so sick I turned it all into anger, and—well."

"You chose trine," she said. "I get that you always choose the trine, but—"

Now she looked up, her optics damp with coolant. "I thought you'd understand, that's all. You and Skywarp, of all mechs. You've seen everything."

Thundercracker loosened his grip, just enough to step back and kneel, just below her optic level.

"I'm thinking being…privileged, messed with our heads," Thundercracker said. His voice was still too quiet, his words careful. "I was worried about us if we openly kept coming here. People are talking."

Updraft had to bite her lip and think hard about what she would say next. Anger bit her spark too, and she stiffened her wings.

"Since when have you cared what other people think?" she asked. He looked away, brows furrowed.

"More than the other two ever did," he said. A smile twitched in the corner of his mouth. "But it was at your expense, when it's not your fault. I always worried about this."

Updraft tilted her head. "You didn't know—"

"No, not who it was," Thundercracker said. "Your carrier told me a long time ago that the sire was a roller. We were worried about your…prospects if people knew. In Vos."

Updraft reached out, to squeeze Thundercracker's wrists. On the simplest level, this was all just proof that Thundercracker worried too much.

"Well, I don't care if people know," she said. "In Vos or not. Actually, I'd be happy they did, because my sire's good to me and everyone should see it."

"Is he here?" Thundercracker asked. Updraft nodded, and looked towards the stairs.

"He might be eavesdropping, to make sure you're civil." She grinned at his hurt look, even as her spark constricted. "I can't blame him after last time."

He squeezed her hand. "Hm. I guess you can't."

She was about to pull him to his feet when she remembered something else. Something important enough that her grip on his hand tightened, and Thundercracker's dipped wings twitched nervously.

"Skywarp told me you almost broke up the trine," she said. Thundercracker _shivered,_ flickering his optics and looking away. "You wouldn't let Starscream hurt my caste or—"

"I _wouldn't,_ " Thundercracker said, and the shiver had reached his voice. "Even if you're out of Vos, I didn't want you being taken advantage of. And he said I should have."

"Starscream hates being humiliated more than he wants to hurt me," Updraft said quietly. Finally, she tugged his wrists, so Thundercracker would stand back up. "Losing his lieutenants would be bad for him."

Thundercracker snorted, even as he put his arm around Updraft. "He doesn't deserve us. But I guess we need him."

" _You_ could lead a trine," Updraft said, leaning against him. Thundercracker coughed suddenly, looking alarmed.

"Oh, no," he said. "I could, maybe, but I'd hate it. You need a certain spunk, not just discipline. You, though…"

Updraft tried to imagine being part of a unit, so cohesive both in the air and on land, let alone _leading_ one and making decisions for all of them. To give yourself up to a bond that could never be mistaken for just military, or something equally as superficial.

"I guess I've learned how _not_ to do it from the best," she said dryly. Thundercracker brought his free hand up to his mouth, hiding the crack of his grin. "I'm not even thinking that far ahead yet. I need to concentrate on school."

"Good girl," Thundercracker said. Updraft heard the familiar old note of approval in his voice. "You're going to succeed no matter where you study. Vosian flight is valuable outside the city, you know. We're the best."

"I'll do my best," she said. It was getting darker. Loud laughter wafted up from the house, Skywarp's, and the smell of good energon. They heard the door being unlocked again, too, so someone else had arrived. She looked up at Thundercracker, who finally, finally seemed to have relaxed.

"I love you, kid," he said. His voice was still soft, but warmer. "I'm sorry I was such a slagger. Skywarp was right to come back to you."

She opened her mouth, to say _I love you too_ and revel in having him back, when Smokescreen's head poked out of the hatch.

"Happy new year!" he said cheerfully. He looked entirely festive, but Updraft could see how his optics flashed with suspicion. It remained to be seen whether Thundercracker could get into her new family's good books. "That your surprise?"

"He is," Updraft said, grinning crookedly.

Smokescreen smiled back, though his gaze lingered on Thundercracker. "Well, bring him downstairs. Your sire's gonna pace a hole in the floor unless he can run through the questions. Also, your girlfriend's here."

She had nearly forgotten Royale would come with Swindle. Of course she would, they had planned if themselves as soon as the whole thing was settled. Skywarp really had outdone himself with the surprise.

Thundercracker stared at her. "Girlfriend?"

Updraft felt her faceplate heat up. "We're seeing where it goes."

She waited for the question-question _—wings or wheels?_ but it never came. Instead, Thundercracker squeezed her shoulder and motioned towards the hatch.

"Why don't you take me to meet her, then?" he said. "And make sure I'm welcome in the house."

"And make sure Skywarp's on his best behaviour," she added. "Let's do that."

Smokescreen's head disappeared back inside. Updraft relaxed.

They could work with this.


End file.
